Pakistan seeks long-term partnership with Huawei: PM Sharif

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said providing technical training to the Pakistani youth in the field of Information Technology is a top priority of the government.

He was talking to a five-member delegation of Huawei led by its CEO Ethen Sun, in Islamabad.

Shehbaz Sharif said the government seeks a solid and long-term partnership with Huawei.

He highlighted that Huawei’s ICT training program will not only boost IT exports but will also help create employment opportunities for youth.

The meeting was briefed about the progress of Huawei’s initiative to train three hundred thousand Pakistani youth in the IT field.

Two hundred and forty thousand youth will receive basic training and sixty thousand will undergo high-tech training. The training is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

It was also informed that third-party validation would be conducted for the training programs.

Additionally, Huawei, in collaboration with Higher Education Commission, has introduced courses in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Big Data and Cyber security in fifteen Pakistani universities.

Earlier in January, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, in collaboration with Huawei launched the ICT Training Portal to enhance IT skills among youth.

Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, while addressing the launching ceremony, said that the portal is expected to play a pivotal role in nurturing a digitally competent workforce, contributing to Pakistan’s progress in the global IT sector.

She further explained that young men and women interested in receiving training can apply through this portal, where they will have access to free online training.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja recalled that during an official visit to China, the prime minister inquired with Huawei about the number of students they could train.