LAHORE: The graduates of e-Rozgaar Trainings, which are being conducted by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), have so far earned $302,754 through Internet based freelancing, Daily Times learnt. Further, the PITB has activated 23 training centres, out of which five are dedicated to females. A total of 45,321 people applied for the trainings out of which 3,584 trainees have graduated so far and 2,208 are currently enrolled. A report received by Daily Times from PITB states, “Every year almost 200,000 students graduate from the universities but the same number of employment opportunities is missing. The internet based opportunities would help provide employment to the unutilised work-force. According to the Global Competitiveness Report, Pakistan lacks behind most countries in terms of technological awareness and job preparedness and thus PITB initiated to invest in trainings regarding the development of Information & Communications Technology and soft skills among the youth.” PITB had launched the e-Rozgaar Scheme in 2017 to provide training and career development opportunities to young professionals of the province, in order to counter the issues of unemployment and provide youth and fresh graduates with the means to earn a respectful living. Further the e-Rozgaar Programme aimed to provide training to budding freelancers, enhancing their skills and assisting them in earning sustainable income leading to upward economic and social mobility of the country. The programme is catering to that strata of the society that is educated but unemployed, aiming to alleviate the social landscape and reducing the rate of unemployment by encouraging them to explore internet based freelancing to become self-employed and self-sustainable. The officials of PITB informed Daily Times that the e-Rozgaar Trainings were providing opportunities to the youth for self-employment using internet-based freelancing for their career growth and were developing their critical soft skills in order to enhance the employability and ensure sustainable earning. Further the trainings were also enabling PITB in creating a group of premium freelancers to work on international projects. PITB Director General Sajid Latif said, “Skilled master trainers from the field of freelancing conduct the trainings. The interested students apply for the training and are shortlisted after tests and interviewed later, keeping in view the area of training and their respective districts and get training according to tracks they choose. The candidates need no prior experience for non-technical and creative design domains and need minimum education/relevant degree for the technical domain. We monitor all the trainings and conduct surprise tests to check their abilities.These are three and half a month trainings which enable students to pitch themselves in the international market on freelancing portals and get business. The training managers and assistant training managers also help trainees to bid on freelancing platforms and get their initial work.” He added that initially a trainee earns approximately Rs 30,000 per month and is able to train others as well. PITB Chairman Dr Umar Saif while talking exclusively to Daily Times said, “The programme is empowering the youth to create jobs for themselves in technical, non-technical and creative areas rather than to seek for it. In freelancing, Pakistan stood third among the world community by earning around $1 billion, which would increase to the tune of $360 million through the earning of $100 per day per person by the 10,000 trainees selected for three-month programme for freelance self-employment at 40 training centres by high profile trainers. Among these centres, five centres are dedicated for female candidates. The training enables the youth to generate income approximately from Rs 30,000 to Rs 80,000 per month while working from home. The programme would take forward the economy of Pakistan by gearing up self-employment as in the given circumstances, we produce 250,000 graduates annually while only 50,000 job opportunities are not enough to meet the requirement.” He added that the curriculum had three course tracks and a training track. The course tracks included technical, non-technical and creative design whereas the specialised training track was an exclusive component added in collaboration with Facebook, where PITB’s Master Trainers built specialised course tracks for candidates in order to educate them on how to expand their work on social media. “This track is also beneficial for those candidates who are interested in maintaining social media accounts for their clients. This training on its own qualifies candidates to take on accounts for digital marketing, social media marketing and social media handling. E-Rozgaar Lounges have also been developed to give free co working space to existing freelancers in all 36 districts of Punjab. All our centres double as co-working spaces after classes finish,” Umar Saif said. Published in Daily Times, June 23rd 2018.