akistan is currently experiencing two major trends, a youth bulge without productivity and an increasing digitisation of the economy and society. The trends are projected to continue and accelerate in the years to come. The digitisation of the economy has a great potential to promote youth employment in the country. The Covid-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of digital skills for the youth to have decent work opportunities.

Pakistan has the youngest population in its history now (65 percent of the population is below the age of 30; 29 percent is between the ages of 15 and 29). Most of the young people lack advanced skills to match the demand of global markets. At the same time, the country has a large number of freelancers, making it one of the top five countries in the world for providing freelance services using digital mediums. Digital skills can generate job opportunities for the youth. In fact, providing digital skills to the youth is, at this point, more of a necessity than a choice.

The National Rural Support Programme, in collaboration with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, is playing its role in this regard. It is committed to supporting provision of digital skills to the youth from underprivileged backgrounds. It is currently implementing the Revitalising Youth Enterprise project through digital and life skills training. The project is funded by and part of the Citi Foundation flagship programme, Pathways to Progress, a job skills-building initiative that addresses the persistent, global issue of youth unemployment.

The project has supported 200 boys and girls from underdeveloped areas of four cities – Karachi, Sukkur, Bahawalpur and Multan – developing relevant digital skills through a three-month training in e-commerce, digital marketing, social media management, graphic design and life skills.

Success stories of two beneficiaries follow:

Muhammad Sheeraz Saeed is from Hasilpur in the Punjab. After graduating from the Government College of Technology in Hasilpur with a degree in civil engineering in 2019, he did not find a job. Since then, an online learning programme has given him digital and life skills.

Saeed was one of the boys and girls who took part in the RYE project. He was trained in digital marketing. He says the skills he acquired from the digital skills training project have made him more productive and relevant to the job market.

“When I saw this opportunity on Facebook, I jumped at it and applied. Never in my life would I have thought that I will have such an opportunity. For the first time in my life, I feel confident in myself. I can now work from the comfort of my home without wasting time and money on transportation,” he says.

After completing training in Canva, Facebook, website development, and e-commerce, he made business accounts and gigs on Facebook, Instagram and Fiverr. He is now looking for clients on these platforms.

For Saeed, this has been a step towards empowerment through digital means. He was also trained in life skills needed to deal with clients and achieving his goals.

Zoofa Sajid is from Chak 143 Murad in the Punjab. She had been looking for employment for a long time after graduation in commerce. A string of rejections and unemployment were serious disappointments but she never lost hope. When she found a job, she was paid a meagre salary barely enough to cover the cost of transportation. She had heard about online earning but lacked the confidence to step up.

She learnt about the RYE project through a community organisation working in her area. She applied for a position and was selected for the social media management and life skills course.

“This is the era of social media and digital marketing. These skills are needed to remain relevant in the job market. I was trained in making, designing and editing social media posts and videos on Canva and getting online work, especially on Fiverr.”

Soon she had found an international client. She believes online work can open many doors for women in Pakistan.

“I created social media accounts and started earning during training. I developed ads, started a self-promotion campaign and found a client in the US. I ran a campaign on Facebook for him and he got good results. He paid me $75. Since then, I have been working and trying to find more opportunities.”

She adds, “In the beginning, it was tough… I had never worked in this way. Once I became familiar with the process, I started enjoying it.”

The young freelancer believes that freelancing and online earning are providing women the opportunity to earn, no matter where they live. “Boys can go and work anywhere without any hurdles, but there are a lot of sociocultural issues for girls working outside of their homes. Now, they can easily earn some money while working from their homes.”

She says she is on a mission to inspire more girls in her village to acquire digital skills to make themselves productive.

“I share my experiences with girls in my village and motivate them to use digital skills to make themselves productive and have decent work. I still cannot believe I earned $75 the first time. Many people around me would say, ‘how can one earn anything online without an investment?’ When I told them about my experience, they were happy for me.”

The training has given her confidence and self-belief.

“I feel confident about my skills and being independent. I cannot explain my happiness. Now, I can plan my work, manage my time and make decisions about how to carry forward my career. I plan to raise my profile and secure access to more clients.”

Sheeraz and Zoofa represent the future of Pakistan. Investment in skill training is imperative to put the country on the path to development.

The writer is a social development practitioner