PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive plan to linking youth to growing number of technology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based jobs.
Under the plan, Rs 40 million would be invested to directly train youth of KP seven divisions for 3000 jobs in digital economy.
Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shahram Khan Tarakai addressing a press conference here said the provincial government has declared 2016 as the Year of Technology in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa adding the government would invest in skilling youth for the knowledge based jobs for the future and emphasize support for youth tech entrepreneurs to launch their own business.
He said that foundation of the plan is the initiative of KP Information Technology Board with partners such as World Bank to make KP hub of technology-based opportunities.
He said that it is the beginning and a foundation for a greater programme to develop jobs for youth in Information Technology sector. He informed that several events including Art and Technology Festival, KP Apps Challenge and Digital Youth Summit would take place in coming next few months.
He said that initiative like incubation programmes would be supported to develop early stage startups, adding the government was working with different partners and individual investors to create Angel Investment for the youth besides helping community building efforts with other stake holders like academia and private sector to develop academic consortia, curriculum development, non-traditional investment mechanism etc.
Shahram said that all these initiatives are part of a broader strategy and a long term vision to transform Peshawar into a hub of technology, design and KP into a digitally ready work force to enter entrepreneurship and participate knowledge based economy.
APP