Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja chaired a meeting on the Huawei Training Programme and its upcoming award ceremony, reviewing progress on capacity building initiatives aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s digital workforce and advancing industry relevant ICT skills. The meeting continues the ministry’s ongoing oversight of a training partnership that has already trained tens of thousands of Pakistani students through Huawei’s ICT Academy network.
The discussion focused on expanding high impact technology training, strengthening industry academia collaboration, and equipping young professionals with skills in emerging and advanced digital technologies. These priorities build on the broader Huawei ICT Academy initiative, which has trained more than 1.3 million students globally since its 2013 launch, with Huawei having previously stated it trains around 300,000 tech students annually across partner countries including Pakistan.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to developing a globally competitive, future ready technology workforce through strategic partnerships with leading international technology companies. This mirrors past statements from Shaza Fatima on the programme, where she has emphasized the initiative’s role in preparing Pakistani youth for the modern digital landscape while offering practical internship opportunities and hands-on experience with current technologies.
The meeting adds to a series of ICT skills development reviews the ministry has conducted with international technology partners in recent months, reflecting continued government attention on scaling training capacity ahead of Pakistan’s broader digital economy goals. With Pakistan’s population skewing heavily toward those under 35, officials have repeatedly framed programmes like the Huawei Training Initiative as central to equipping the country’s large youth population with the technical skills needed to compete in the global digital economy.
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