KP govt approves digital skills training programme

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday approved the launch of the digital skills training programme.

The approval was accorded at a meeting of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

Under the initiative, 100,000 young graduates of different categories would be imparted advanced digital training through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board initially, said an official communique.

The forum was informed that the digital skills training programme would be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs5 billion under which different digital skills courses of three to six months durations would be arranged for graduates.

The officials said the youth would be imparted digital training in accordance with the needs of local and international markets in different sectors of Information and Communication Technology to enhance their employability in the online markets.

Besides offering employment opportunities, scholarships and Nano degrees would be awarded to the successful candidates.

Briefing about the three different levels of the programme, it was told that under the Intermediate level digital skills, 60,000 youth would be trained whereas 20,000 youth would get training under advanced level digital skills. Similarly, rest of the youth would be imparted training courses in the third level of the programme named Nano degree. Addressing the participants, the chief minister said that providing youth with employment opportunities was the sole purpose of this programme. He added that within a short span of six-month time, 100,000 skilled main power would be prepared in the province.

He said that it was one of the priorities of his government to make this province a hub of digital skilled workforce through the effective use of information and communication technology.