PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched another initiative to create employment opportunities for youth by introducing its flagship Digital Skills Initiative under the IT Board.
The formal launch ceremony was held at the Chief Minister’s House Peshawar on Tuesday, where Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur inaugurated the programme, said a handout.
Special Assistant for Science, Technology and IT Dr. Shafqat Ayaz, Secretary STIT Amjad Ali Khan, Managing Director IT Board Dr. Aqif, other officials, and selected students for the training programme were present on the occasion.
A total of 27,450 young people across the province will be trained in globally recognized, market-driven digital skills, while 2,888 graduates will be awarded scholarships for global certification. The programme also includes career counseling and mentorship for participants.
In the first phase, over 6,000 applications were received, out of which 1,268 students were transparently selected on merit for the inaugural batch.
Training partners have been chosen through a competitive process to deliver instruction in 24 digital domains, including Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Computer Networking, Graphic Designing, Game Development, and Social Media Marketing, among others.
A strong monitoring and evaluation framework has been set up to ensure quality and accountability.
The programme aims to produce a skilled workforce capable of finding employment in both local industries and the global freelance market.
Speaking at the ceremony, the chief minister congratulated the IT Board team on launching what he called an important flagship initiative and extended his best wishes to the selected graduates.
He added that the provincial government was working to digitize public services to strengthen systems and ensure transparency.