A report by AlphaBeta found that if leveraged fully, digital technologies could create up to PKR 9.7 Trillion (USD 59.7 Billion) worth of economic value annually in Pakistan by 2030. Pakistan’s ICT sector has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade, boasting an average annual revenue growth rate of 20-30%. ICT-related exports currently exceed US$5 billion, and the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication believes the sector has the “potential to become the [nation’s] largest export industry” in the coming years. Currently, roughly 4.7% of Pakistan’s labor force is employed in the ICT sector, of which 6% – or ~200,000 workers – are women. The ICT sector also has the largest number of job vacancies, based on data from Pakistan’s leading job portal, Rozee.pk. Farhan Qureshi, Google’s Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, said

Google Career Certificates

Available on the online education platform Coursera, Google Career Certificates are self-paced online training programmes that enable learners with no prior experience or a degree to unlock new job opportunities in 6 areas – data analytics, IT support, IT automation, project management, UX Design, and digital marketing & e-commerce. Each certificate is created by Google’s in-house experts and designed to equip learners with fundamental skills through hands-on learning, allowing them to progress at their own pace while studying or working. Syeda Dur-e-Hassan Rizvi, Data Science Trainee at Institute of Engineering Career, said “Although challenges and obstacles may stand in the way, it’s crucial to persevere if you want to succeed. After dipping my toes into the world of data, I have now finished the Google data analytics certification – It was a fantastic learning opportunity. I feel more confident and ready to learn and grow more!” Muhammad Zunnurain Hussain, Assistant Professor, Dept. of CS Bahria University Lahore Campus, said “This certification has greatly impacted my professional life; I have been recognized globally, and have started receiving job offers from across the globe. Sky is the limit!” To provide the opportunity for even more Pakistanis to benefit from Google Career Certificates, Google will offer scholarships for 15,000 learners to earn a certificate at no cost. Google will partner with IRM and Ignite to distribute the scholarships. For more information on Career Certificates and the scholarships, please visit https://goo.gle/GCCPKScholarship Also Read: Google Eases Personal Information Removal from Search Results