In a major development, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has accelerated the program for training and certification of IT graduates and professionals in the latest technologies.
Six thousand graduates and professionals would be trained under this program between 2021 and 2023. This boost comes in the wake of strong IT Industry growth and an increase in IT & IT-enabled Services (ITeS) export remittances.
These comprise computer services and call center services exports that have surged to $648.94 million at a growth rate of 38.16 percent during July-November of FY2020-21, in comparison to $469.713 million during July-November of FY2019-20.
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However, this growth has intensified the shortage of qualified manpower for the IT industry. As IT Industry’s main capital is qualified manpower and without a strong, qualified manpower base, Pakistan’s IT Industry’s growth momentum cannot be sustained.
Internationally recognized certifications are a quick and readily recognized benchmark mapped to a specific skill set based on standardized testing. Internationally recognized training is highly coveted, particularly in the global information technology industry.
Attaining international certifications provides instant recognition to IT professionals and recent IT graduates, who, without international certifications, would most likely go unnoticed by Pakistani and international IT companies.
International certifications level the playing field for Pakistani IT companies and IT professionals in acquiring international projects.
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The training and certifications would be conducted either free of cost or at a nominal cost. The training and certifications will cover the latest technologies, such as machine learning, blockchain, automated testing, big data analytics. The certifications would include AWS Certified Solution Architect, AWS Certified Big Data – Speciality, Microsoft Azure Big Data Analytics Solutions, Scrum Master Certified (SAMC), Certified Associates in Python Programming, CCNA, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator, and many others.
To ensure maximum capacity building of local IT ecosystem, local training companies would be required to partner up with international entities such as Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco among others.
The training and international certification program of 6,000 graduates over two years would significantly boost Pakistan’s IT ecosystem and effectively address the issue of employability of Pakistani graduates and significantly enhance their potential as a young techie, startup entrepreneur, or as a freelancer.
