Maria Shahid
A country’s youth is proclaimed as the key to spearheading its success, from their parents to the national leaders all expect them to lead themselves and us towards a better tomorrow. Pakistan’s youth are shown one path towards economic security: to pursue a college degree either in engineering or medicine and try their hand at the CSS examination, which for majority of candidates is a financially and emotionally draining process, leaving them more directionless than even before.
The failure is not on the country’s youth but the leaders and parents who are showing them this direction. Despite evidence and feedback from employers that many graduates do not have the skill set or technical knowledge needed to effectively perform their roles, we continue to push youth towards time-consuming degrees in academic institutes that are more well-established brands rather than career or skill nurturing hubs. The focus is on gaining a degree versus a concrete skill or craft with market value. This is counterproductive as today’s job market is more competitive and saturated with college graduates then it was during our parents’ time. Skills, not degrees are the key to a successful work future combined with continuous learning and personal development.
The pandemic has demonstrated that the traditional job market is not as secure as we thought and self-employment for instance in the form of professional freelancing is now a feasible pathway to earning a decent income and establishing a career in the new world. Pakistan’s young and tech savvy population can greatly benefit from the new types of digital jobs that are emerging and expected to grow. In fact, Pakistan is expected to become a global freelancing hub and was ranked at number three amongst the top ten destinations to procure freelance services by Pioneer, making it the opportune moment to invest in skills trainings that will nurture citizen’s abilities in earning an income.
Instead of pressurizing our youth, we need to show them the new pathways they can pursue to create a career and establish livelihoods which now realistically includes self-employment and entrepreneurship across various industries. The Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) sector will play a significant role in both educating youth in the hiring trends and skill sets required by the global economy as well as developing those skill sets. Institutes like PSDF (Punjab Skills Development Fund) are already playing a role in setting the right direction by offering specialized training courses (spanning 3-6 months) in emerging fields like IT and digital marketing and bringing on partners to implement skills trainings of value. For a developing country where many citizens cannot afford to invest in 3-4 years of degrees, this is a realistic option and a better prepared way to enter the job market.
What will really differentiate Pakistani youth and set them up for success is having skill sets that are in high demand by the global job market which includes a combination of soft and technical skills for long-term success. Furthermore, by encouraging our youth to go beyond the typical doctor, bureaucrat, and banker route we are creating a nation with a variety of skills to offer and giving them the competitive edge, they need to flourish professionally and establish themselves. Pakistan’s youth is its greatest asset, let’s not waste their capabilities and time by pushing them down the wrong path.
The writer is the Communications and PR Specialist at Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF).