Globally popular search engine Google has introduced Career Certificates to Citizens with the aim of providing Pakistanis with adequate learning opportunities to acquire the most sought-after digital skills required for employment.
In a statement issued in Karachi, Google said that as part of its mission to ‘Unlock Pakistan’s Digital Potential’, this year it is offering 15,000 scholarships through its local partners – the Institute of Rural Management (IRM) and Ignite – to create an equitable and It has also reinforced its commitment to enable an inclusive digital economy, involving academic institutions, industry partners and non-profit organizations.
According to a report by Alpha Beta, if fully exploited, digital technologies could generate annual economic growth of 9.7 trillion Pakistani rupees (US$59.7 billion) in Pakistan by 2030.
Pakistan’s ICT sector has seen remarkable growth over the past decade, growing at an average annual rate of 30-20%. ICT-related exports have recently increased to US$5 billion and the Ministry of Information and Technology believes that the sector ‘has the potential to become (the country’s) largest export industry.’
At present, about 4.7% of Pakistan’s workforce is working in the ICT sector, of which six percent, approximately two lakh workers, are women.
According to the data available on Pakistan’s leading job portal, rozee.pk, the highest number of vacancies are also found in the ICT sector.
Farhan Qureshi, Google’s Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka said: ‘Today we are proud to announce Google Career Certificates under the Grow with Google programme. In partnership with the Institute of Rural Management and Ignite, we are also offering 15,000 scholarships so that learners can earn certificates at no cost. This effort is an expression of Google’s commitment under which Google wants to play an important role in ensuring the development of the country’s digital ecosystem.
This certification program will open up new opportunities and allow developers, students, teachers, job seekers and businesses to grow faster. For this, partnerships have also been established in the public and private sectors as we want to develop Pakistan’s digital industry.’
Available on the online education platform Coursera, Google Career Certificates (https://grow.google/certificates) are self-paced online programs that allow learners to learn without prior experience or a degree. Enables them to create new employment opportunities for themselves in six fields like data analytics, IT support, IT automation, project management, UX design, digital marketing and e-commerce.
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Each course is developed by Google’s in-house experts and is designed to equip learners with fundamental skills through hands-on training that allows them to progress at their own pace and with It also provides an opportunity to continue your education or employment.
Regarding this, Syeda Dr. Hasan Rizvi, Data Science Trainee at the Institute of Engineering Career said: ‘Though there may be obstacles and difficulties on the way, but if you want to succeed, then you have to be persistent. I’ve now completed my Google Data Analytics certification after diving into the world of data – it was a great learning opportunity. I feel more confident now and ready to learn and grow more.’
Muhammad Zulwanwareen Hussain, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Bahria University, Lahore Campus says: ‘This certification has had a profound impact on my professional life. Now I am recognized globally and I am now receiving job offers from all over the world. Now the sky is my limit!’
In order to provide more Pakistanis with the opportunity to benefit from Google Career Certificates, Google will also provide 15,000 scholarships to learners to obtain the certificate at no cost. Google will provide these scholarships through IRM and Ignite
