The Ministry of Information Technology reported on Thursday that 600,000 Pakistani freelancers trained through the government’s IGNITE fund’s DigiSkills freelancer programme contribute up to $200 million in annual revenue. It also reported that 1.7 million Pakistanis have enrolled in DigiSkills to date, with the programme meeting 76 percent of its goals.
DigiSkills programme aim is to encourage freelancing and assist young people in monetizing their talents by participating in the gig economy. Graphic design, content creation, freelancing, digital marketing, E-commerce management, web development, and SEO are among the ten courses available. Each batch is trained for a period of 12 weeks. Graduated freelancers receive E-certificates that are conveniently accessible.
Regarding other IGNITE ventures, the IT ministry reported that 272 startups with revenue estimates of Rs. 3 billion have graduated from incubation centres in five major cities, with 691 startups registered. Meanwhile, incubation centres are being planned in Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Kamrah, Mardan, and other cities.
