The Pakistan Software Export Board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and under the Prime Minister’s National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program known as NSHRDP INSPIRE, has launched a fully funded four-month training programme in Digital Integrated Circuit Design and Verification, offering participants a monthly stipend of PKR 50,000 alongside hands-on, industry-ready technical education. The programme is aimed at building a credible domestic talent pipeline for Pakistan’s emerging semiconductor sector and is being delivered by a consortium led by the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology alongside the National Electronics Complex of Pakistan, COMSATS University Islamabad’s Abbottabad Campus, the National Institute of Electronics, and the Center for Advanced Research in Engineering.
The training is structured as a four-month, results-driven programme built around an industry-approved curriculum, access to a fully equipped integrated circuit design laboratory, experienced faculty, dedicated mentorship, and direct industry employment support upon completion. Three delivery locations have been announced: the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology in the May to August cohort, where on-campus accommodation is available, and Islamabad and Abbottabad for the June to September cohort. The programme is open to graduates holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.7. Students graduating in May or June 2026 are also eligible to apply, provided their degree is completed before the training commences. Only shortlisted candidates will be called for a test and interview as part of the selection process.
The initiative forms part of Pakistan’s broader ambition to build a structured semiconductor ecosystem, backed by a total government allocation of PKR 4.844 billion under the NSHRDP INSPIRE programme. The consortium model, which brings together leading engineering universities and research institutions under a single coordinated delivery framework, reflects the programme’s intent to combine academic rigour with practical laboratory experience and direct industry linkage. For engineering graduates seeking a pathway into one of the world’s fastest-growing and most strategically significant technology sectors, the combination of fully funded training, a meaningful monthly stipend, and employment support makes this among the more substantive skill development opportunities currently available in Pakistan’s technology education landscape. Interested candidates can apply at https://www.giki.edu.pk/ic-design.
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