Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Nutshell Group and Martin Dow Group hosted the 5th edition of Pakistan’s largest corporate event ‘The Future Summit’ with at a local hotel. Governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail addressing the Future Summit lauded the working of SBP under the leadership of Dr Reza Baqir. Referring to the government decision to not go for lockdown during coronavirus pandemic the governor said, “Whatever decision Imran Khan takes, at first it seems to be unrealistic or incorrect but later it proves to be right in all the aspects.” Governor State Bank Pakistan (SBP), Dr Reza Baqir while addressing The Future Summit said, “It’s a moment of great pride for Pakistan that we successfully controlled the global average of covid cases.”

Dr. Reza Baqir appreciated the efforts of NCOC (National Command and Control Center) and the initiative of the Ehsaas Cash Program which played a vital role in tackling the COVID pandemic. Governor SBP also said that amid the coronavirus pandemic, the World Bank has also praised the initiative of the Ehsaas Cash Program and despite the coronavirus surge, Pakistan has significantly declined the level of its Debt to GDP ratio.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Martin Dow Group, Ali Akhai said, “This Summit comes at an opportune time when the global playing field has a new environment with new rules. The Summits’ theme – “What’s Coming Next” is possibly the most important subject for the next 10 years, as it addresses life in the new world as we know it. There’s a lot to debate, and even more, to accept the realization of change.”

Ali Akhai also said, “Today, after 2 years of the pandemic, the change continues, and has become a constant part of the new normal. Importantly What’s Coming Next, is a higher standard of competition in quality, localisation, consolidation, digitization, adaptability, and of course, rapid & constant change.” Former Chief of Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman who is also the Chief Executive Strategic Engagements of Nutshell Group in his address at The Future Summit said that nothing will happen by just discussing the existing problems, better is to go for a rational solution to the crises.

Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman also said that “Greater the challenges are, bigger is the opportunity and it is the need of the hour to exhilarate the impetus of motivation among the organizational workforce as they will take your companies to the ultimate success. “Collective efforts and mutual coordination is required to tackle the rising impact of the Omicron Variant”, the former PAF Chief said and added that employee empowerment in the organization is mandatory and this objective could be attained by selecting the right person for the right job.”

President and CEO, Engro Corporation Ghias Khan while expressing his views during a dialogue session with CEO Jaffer Business Systems Pvt Ltd, Mr Veqar ul Islam at The Future Summit said “The structured issues of Pakistan remained same in the recent years, but due to the unending wave of covid it augmented to a much higher level.” He also said that “Technology has driven much of the segments of businesses; presence of technology and acceptance of a hybrid world is a good omen. We cannot progress unless we are fully capable of selling our services to the entire world by increasing the exports level and regional connectivity.”

Former Governor SBP and Chairperson Pakistan Stock Exchange, Dr Shamshad Akhtar said ‘’Climate Change needs immense attention from the global world. She expressed her concern that the share of public expenditure for tackling climate change is not adequate. Dr Shamshad Akhtar said we need to devise effective strategies for managing the changing impact of climate and must develop a robust financing network to deal with its consequences systematically.

Former Governor SBP also said that infrastructure development is a very important presence. Pakistan needs to double its GDP ratio for infrastructural development and we need to utilize alternative sources of energy and the right taxation schemes will prove to be fruitful in near future.

President and CEO Faysal Bank Yousaf Hussain speaking at The Future Summit said that we need to realize customer needs and requirements of the workforce. Empathy along with speed of the change and the external partnership is very important.

CEO K-Electric, Syed Moonis Alvi speaking on the occasion said, “We need to tell Karachiites that the ‘K’ in K Electric is not Karachi, it actually explicates ‘Kinetic’. KE’s jurisdiction is beyond the scope of the Karachi itself and so its dominion for power generation is automatically much larger. The future is digital. The power utility has come a long way in incorporating this aspect on a routine basis and the KE app is a testament to that – a model that should be emulated by other DISCOS nationally”.

Lahore (Nut Desk)

Tech Valley and DEMO empowered 3000 women of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through digital skills under KP Youth Employment Program

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: While celebrating the success of empowering 3000 women of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on employable digital skills under Women Empowerment Through Digital Skills Program, a graduation ceremony was held at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board, Peshawar, which was attended by hundreds of females from seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The event included employers and other notable dignitaries while the chief guest of this event was Honourable Minister for Science, Technology and IT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Atif Khan.

Amid the COVID-19, KP Youth Employment Program, the flagship program of KP IT Board, started an initiative named “Women Empowerment through Digital Skills,” which aimed to ensure women’s inclusion in the digital economy. The project was supported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board, funded by Multi-Donor Trust Fund and The World Bank.

Tech Valley, along with DEMO, being the advocate of women empowerment in the region and known for its capacity-building programs, progressed to implement this program in the seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The goal was to empower 3000 women of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with skills – like graphic designing, social media marketing, WordPress design & development, blogging & content writing, and digital tools for productivity – and promote financial independence of these women by providing them employment opportunities through digital jobs.

Apart from designing the content of these courses with the help of known industry experts of their respective fields, Tech Valley also reached out to its partner Google to design the curriculum of “Digital Tools for productivity”. After localizing the content provided by Google, the course was incorporated into the program that consisted of training on project management and collaboration skills using the latest available tools.

“The program was well-coordinated, the trainers and coordinators were very helpful. The content was structured to keep us engaged throughout the program. The skills I learned from the program have helped me promote my business online”, says one of the program’s participants.

The program was delivered through an online management system that consisted of video lessons, assignments, quizzes, and online training sessions that provided a platform for females to interact with the trainers and ask questions. The program also included mentorship sessions from human resource experts and career counselors and freelancing sessions that consisted of tips and techniques to land a gig on different freelancing platforms.

While appreciating the efforts of the team and the success of the program, Minister of Science, Technology and IT, Mr. Atif Khan, discussed the government’s plans, “We are planning to train 1 Lac people in multiple levels of digital skills. The government is willing to invest as much as it can in filling the gap in the IT industry by training its youth in IT skills.”

Managing Director Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board, Dr. Sahibzada Ali Mahmud, congratulated the program participants and said, “Our women have unlimited potential, and by learning these skills, they can do jobs at the convenience of their own home.” He also added that “The digital economy has a lot more to offer to the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and we are working to bridge this gap by helping youth master different digital skills.”

CEO Tech Valley, Umar Farooq, expressed gratitude to the KP IT Board and donors of the program, i.e., multi-donor trust fund and the world bank. He also stressed the importance of digital skills and nourishing the digital economy. He said, “Digital Skills are important for youth, but the dream of digital Pakistan cannot be fulfilled until the government provides prerequisites, i.e., tax subsidy on digital gadgets, providing subsidised internet packages for youth & establishing free internet zones.”

Madiha Hamid, CEO DEMO added, “Women are the pillar for Economic growth for Pakistan. These Digital Skills training have enabled women to earn and become financially independent and contribute to their household income.We hope that more women step up and take the challenge and equip themselves with the skills of future”

As the world is going digital, the youth must master in-demand digital skills to play a crucial role in uplifting the digital economy. Through programs like these, the government and the partners aim to enhance the skill set of youth to better equip them with the needs of the current and future digital job market.

CEO Tech Valley, Umar Farooq and CEO DEMO, Madiha Hamid with Minister for Science, Technology and IT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Atif Khan on the graduation event at Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.