Daily Times

In a bid to transform Pakistan’s vocational and technical education at par with the standards of the ever-evolving digital world, an alliance recently welcomed over 160 partners from China and Pakistan during a seminar held in Beijing.

Considering how China has earned a pristine reputation in the international community as a digital hub, especially in the development of highly skilled talent, this shared vision is expected to enhance educational opportunities for students in Pakistan through digital means, revolutionising the educational landscape. With one of the largest youth bulges in the world, Pakistan needs to capitalise on every single available opportunity to enhance the employability of its young people who account for 70 percent of the population.

Although every leading political party made a great buzz during the election to introduce mega initiatives to develop human resources, the government has yet to introduce an official policy that offers youth-centred programmes. Provincial programmes like the Punjab government’s newly-launched Digital Skills Development Programme or the Sindh Board of Technical Education are trying their best to offer some hope for a better tomorrow to the youth but linking them to the kind of scientific and IT expertise available in the modern world remains the biggest challenge.

If the alliance is to be believed, technical institutes will soon offer tools like online learning platforms, virtual classrooms, and interactive education to facilitate the learning experience and turn the students into a sought-after labour force, in not just domestic but international market. Pakistan is definitely in search of another boost to its finances, and these trained professionals can offer just the right amount.

Nevertheless, reality dictates that a lack of infrastructure and technological resources in many parts of the country, especially rural areas, would considerably hinder success. Punjab TEVTA (leading the alliance from Pakistan) should have contemplated addressing the digital divide, which provides the wealthier urban areas with better access to technology and digital resources than rural and low-income communities. At the end of the day, initiatives are best remembered if successful. *