Pakistan trains youth for AI, BPO jobs as digital economy grows
LAHORE, PAKISTAN — Pakistan’s Punjab province has launched two large-scale skills programs designed to train tens of thousands of young workers for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs, signaling an aggressive bid to position the country as a rising competitor in the global outsourcing and technology services market.
According to a report from The Nation, the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) rolled out Advance Tech and Global Rozgar under the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Hunarmand Naujawan Initiative, targeting Pakistan’s rapidly expanding digital economy and a BPO sector that grew nearly 25% in fiscal year 2025.
The move comes as multinationals diversify their delivery footprints beyond India and the Philippines, opening fresh opportunities for emerging South Asian markets.
Advance tech targets the AI and cloud talent gap
The Advance Tech program offers specialized three-month courses in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, DevOps, Mobile App Development, Internet of Things, Game Development, and AI-led Digital Marketing.
It targets youth aged 18 to 40, with plans to train 2,500 participants in the current phase and 7,500 trainees over the next two and a half years. The program was developed in collaboration with the Pakistan Software Export Board, the Pakistan Software Houses Association, and the Punjab Information Technology Board to ensure direct alignment with industry demand.
“Pakistan is at an inflection point in its digital transformation,” said PSDF Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Khan.
“Advance Tech prepares youth for a global technology market increasingly shaped by AI, cloud computing and advanced development skills, while Global Rozgar supports the rapidly growing BPO sector,” Khan added.
The program addresses a longstanding gap: while Pakistan produces more than 75,000 IT graduates annually, only a small fraction enters the formal technology workforce due to outdated curricula and limited industry exposure.
Global Rozgar builds Pakistan’s BPO workforce pipeline
The Global Rozgar program offers one-month courses to participants aged 16 to 35 in Contact Centre Operations, Customer Care, Medical Billing, Sales Development, CRM systems, and AI-enabled call and chat handling.
The initiative initially aims to train 2,500 individuals, with a broader five-year target of 25,000 beneficiaries — a major workforce injection into Pakistan’s fast-growing BPO sector.
PSDF has secured employment partnerships with companies including Ufone, Abacus, Ibex, CureMD, and TGS to provide direct job pathways for trainees after course completion.
Adnan Afzal Chattha, Chairperson of the Chief Minister’s Task Force for Skills Development, said the programs were “designed to convert Punjab’s youth potential into economic opportunity through direct industry partnerships and demand-based skills training.”
The initiatives reflect a broader recalibration unfolding across the global outsourcing industry, where Western firms are increasingly diversifying their offshore footprints to manage cost, risk, and talent constraints.
As Pakistan invests in structured skills training and builds direct pipelines from classrooms to contact center floors, it joins a growing list of countries — including South Africa, Vietnam, and Egypt — positioning themselves as next-wave outsourcing destinations capable of capturing share from established hubs.
