The Semiconductor Project Team, along with the Skills Team of Pakistan Software Export Board, has convened a coordination meeting with consortium partners under the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program to review project progress and align semiconductor training with global industry standards. The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to build a structured talent pipeline for Pakistan’s emerging semiconductor sector, a priority area under the government’s wider digital economy agenda.
The session was chaired by Naveed Sherwani, Chairman of the Steering Committee and National Semiconductor Task Force, and led by Doctor Henna Karamat Durrani, Chief Skills Development Officer at Pakistan Software Export Board and Project Director of the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program. Discussions centered on enhancing the quality of ongoing training modules, standardising competency based assessments across participating institutions, and expanding international placement opportunities for graduates entering the semiconductor design and verification workforce. Participants also reviewed the current status of academia industry collaboration under the program, an element officials consider central to ensuring that training output matches the practical requirements of employers in the global semiconductor value chain.
A key point of discussion was the role of INDUS, described as the Integrated Network for Digital Upskilling and Success, which is designed to connect semiconductor graduates directly with employers once they complete their training. Officials at the meeting agreed on a set of actions intended to further build out Pakistan’s semiconductor talent pipeline and position the country as a competitive destination for high tech talent on the international stage. The National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program, branded as INSPIRE, operates under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication and carries an approved government allocation of over four billion rupees, funding training delivered through a consortium of universities and research institutions including the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology and NED University of Engineering and Technology.
The program has already rolled out fully funded training tracks in digital integrated circuit design and verification, offering participants a monthly stipend alongside hands on technical education delivered through Semiconductor Education and Research Clusters established across multiple regions of the country. These clusters are intended to modernise curricula, support faculty development, and produce graduates ready to enter chip design roles domestically and abroad. The program aims to train several thousand engineers in chip design and verification techniques that meet international standards, with officials framing the initiative as a central pillar of Pakistan’s effort to establish a foothold in the global semiconductor industry and reduce the country’s reliance on traditional software export sectors alone.
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