The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, chaired by Syed Amin Ul Haque, convened to review progress on the much-anticipated Coding and DG Skills Program. The meeting witnessed strong criticism from committee members over the delay in launching the program, initially scheduled to begin on June 14, 2024.

The committee chairman expressed frustration, stating, “A full year has been wasted; who is responsible for this delay?” He emphasized the missed opportunity, noting the rapid evolution in Artificial Intelligence (AI) over the past year. Ignite, the executing body for the program, acknowledged the delay and cited the need to align the training content with modern-day tech requirements.

We want to introduce a curriculum that reflects current trends in AI and digital technologies. Training 10,000 individuals in five programming languages is a significant challenge, requiring a large number of training centers.

-CEO Ignite

The Secretary for IT and Telecom added that a revised proposal for the program is being prepared, and the initiative is now expected to launch between September and October 2025. He also revealed that the ministry aims to train 1 million individuals in IT skills through a comprehensive national training plan.

“All training programs are now being consolidated under a unified strategy, with a clear focus on Artificial Intelligence,” he stated, stressing that Ignite should take the lead on this front.

The Committee Chairman urged the Secretary of IT to ensure the program’s rollout by the proposed timeline, asserting the importance of Ignite’s proactive involvement in execution.

In the same meeting, Ignite officials also presented updates on the DG Skills Program, reporting that 4.5 million trainings have been conducted so far. They said the program has provided free online IT courses to youth, and from 2018 to 2025, participants trained under this initiative have contributed $1.6 billion to Pakistan’s economy.

So far, 15 courses have been offered under DG Skills, and 10 new courses are being added to the curriculum. Notably, 26% of current participants are women, highlighting the growing inclusion of women in the digital workforce.