Google will provide 1000 Certifications Scholarships to Balochistan Youth

Tech Valley Pakistan and the Balochistan government have recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to provide a significant opportunity for the province's youth. Under the agreement, 1,000 Google Career Certificates Scholarships will be awarded to the young people of Balochistan, which will pave the way for their professional development and career growth. This initiative is expected to bring about a positive change in the lives of the youth by equipping them with the latest technology skills and enhancing their employability prospects.

On Wednesday, Chief Secretary Balochistan Abdul Aziz Aqeeli declared that the youth of Balochistan will be awarded certificates upon completing training, and will be provided with job opportunities.

He made this announcement at a ceremony organized in partnership with the Balochistan government and Tech Valley Pakistan. Aqeeli also revealed that Tech Valley Pakistan and Google will collaborate to initiate information technology (IT) classes in schools across Balochistan, with Google contributing a sum of $500,000 towards the project.

In addition to the Google Career Certificates Scholarships, the Chief Secretary of Balochistan, Abdul Aziz Aqeeli, also announced that Google will be providing 10 buses to run in various areas of Balochistan to facilitate the students. The official stressed the significance of empowering the youth of Balochistan with modern technology, stating that it will help them stay focused on the right path. The Chief Secretary also pledged that the provincial government will provide full support and assistance to Tech Valley Pakistan to ensure that their work can begin expeditiously.

In a related development, Tech Valley Pakistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with five different departments of the Balochistan government to distribute Google Career Certificates Scholarships in the region.

It's noteworthy that Balochistan is the third province in Pakistan to receive the Google Career Certifications Scholarship. In the past month, Google has provided 5,000 scholarships to young people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through a collaboration with COLLABS. Google has also awarded scholarships to young people in Sindh, as witnessed by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during the signing ceremony between Sindh Information, Science & Technology (IST) and Techvalley Pakistan for the Google Career Certification Scholarship Program 2023.

During the event, the Chief Minister remarked that the partnership between the provincial IT department and Techvalley aims to provide Google scholarships to students in government schools, youth, and transgender individuals, enabling them to receive IT-based training and pursue courses that will help them earn a dignified livelihood. He further expressed his desire for Google to expand this initiative throughout Sindh.

The collaboration between Techvalley Pakistan and the government of Sindh is not limited to the Google Career Certification Scholarship Program. Techvalley Pakistan has planned to offer additional programs, such as computer science classes, digital Google Garage, Be Internet Awesome, Google Cloud Solutions, and Project Management certifications for individuals, youth, and working professionals in Sindh province.

Beforehand, the Sindh government's Information Science & Technology (IS&T) department, Google Pakistan, and Techvalley had signed an MoU aimed at offering several training courses to improve human capital development in the technology sector. Google has demonstrated its commitment to boost the education sector's capacity in areas like Education Tools, Teacher Training & Certifications, Empowering IT Staff, and Transforming Computer Labs.

Currently, Google is offering free certification courses in IT support, IT Automation, Data Analytics, Project Management, UX Design, Digital Marketing E-Commerce, Cybersecurity, Advance Data Analytics, and Advance Business Intelligence for the youth of Sindh. The Google Career Certificate program offers up to 5000 scholarships. Each certification requires 160 hours of training within four months. The program is inclusive and offers equal opportunities to women and people with disabilities.

The "Grow with Google" initiative has been launched in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) and Google to provide 5,000 scholarships for Pakistanis. The program aims to offer scholarships for the most sought-after Google certifications to equip the youth of the province with in-demand skills, allowing them to pursue better career options globally. The program is being managed by TechValley in Pakistan and places a special emphasis on empowering women to benefit from the opportunity.

While Google's efforts are laudable, the tech giant also has a larger objective in mind. There is a global shortage of digital skills, which is leading to millions of jobs remaining vacant. The World Economic Forum's report warns that by 2025, over 85 million jobs worldwide could go unfilled due to the lack of qualified candidates. Pakistan has been struggling with a shortage of skilled workers for some time, with graduates lacking professional skills in their respective fields. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has also issued a warning that the country is facing a digital skills gap, with a shortage of skilled workers in areas such as software development, data analytics, and cybersecurity.