KPITB, AKF partner for digital training

In a key move towards enhancing skills development and fostering youth employment in the province, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) and Al-Khidmat Foundation (AKF) have joined forces through a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This strategic alliance aims to harness the combined strengths and resources of both entities to promote and advance digital skills initiatives across the region.

The MoU signing ceremony, held at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, saw the presence of Chief Guest, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, alongside Provincial Caretaker Minister for ST&IT, Dr. Najeeb Ullah, Vice Chancellor IM Sciences, Dr. Usman Ghani, Managing Director KPITB, Dr. Ali Mehmood, and other dignitaries from AKF and relevant authorities.

Formally establishing a collaborative partnership, the MoU between KPITB and AKF K-P Region focuses on empowering and nurturing digital skills among the province’s youth. Through the ‘Bano Qabil’ program of Al-Khidmat Foundation, an ambitious initiative is set to impart mid and advanced level digital skills courses to over 0.3 million youth from diverse backgrounds across the province.

The proposed courses encompass a wide spectrum of digital expertise, including Office Automation, Graphic Designing, Digital Marketing, Mobile App Development, Cyber Security Fundamentals, and more. Addressing the gathering, the caretaker chief minister highlighted the abundant talent among the province’s youth and emphasized the need for practical measures to tap into this potential effectively.

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He underscored the significance of the Human Capital Export Strategy, devised by the caretaker provincial government, which aims to equip the youth with market-oriented digital skills through collaborative partnerships with relevant departments and institutions. Stressing the urgency of the matter, he called for swift implementation of the MoU, directing concerned authorities to expedite the necessary steps.

The chief minister also called upon private sector institutions to rally behind the government’s efforts in this national endeavor, lauding the commendable role of Al-Khidmat Foundation.

“The memorandum of understanding between KPITB and AKF is also a part of those efforts,” he remarked and added that significant increase in the trained and skilled manpower is the need of hour; it can play an effective role in steering the country out of current financial crunch.

He made it clear that Human Resource Export Strategy has been devised with the target to train up to five lakh youth by next year. The trained workforce would then be sent abroad for employment.

With a shared vision for skill enhancement and economic empowerment, the MoU between KPITB and AKF is poised to address the burgeoning demand for digital skills in the province, paving the way for a brighter future for its youth.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2024.