Telenor, Virtual University sign MoU

ISLAMABAD: Telenor Pakistan has partnered with the Virtual University of Pakistan to launch a countrywide digital skill-building programme named DigiSkills Training Project, a statement said on Thursday.

The two-year mega project, under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom through IGNITE - National Technology Fund (formerly National ICT R&D Fund), aims to train one million people in digital skills for freelancing and entrepreneurship using ICTs. The agreement was signed by at the Prime Minister Secretariat in the presence of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and IT Minister Anusha Rahman. Telenor Pakistan and Virtual University top management finalised the memorandum of understanding, the statement added.

Prime Minister Abbasi said the government would ensure availability of broadband across the country and facilitate e-commerce. He said entrepreneurship was a unique skill and only the private sector has the ability to take it forward. IT Minister Anusha Rahman said, “DigiSkills combines an ideal mix of partnership between Ignite and Virtual University’s expansive and advanced eLearning platform to further the Ministry of IT’s digitisation and empowerment goals. The online freelance market offers a myriad of opportunities to thousands of jobseekers whom we aim to ready for getting the best of that rewarding marketplace through DigiSkills.” Telenor Pakistan CEO said, “This partnership with Virtual University is a significant development in pursuit of our mission of empowering the Pakistani society.”