Google has pledged 44,500 scholarships to Pakistani youth seeking high-demand digital skills. These awards will allow students to pursue Google Career Certificates (GCC) courses, which started last year.

Syed Aminul Haque, Minister of Information and Telecommunications, attended the event where Google stressed its commitment to provide equal opportunity for everybody to learn digital skills and find work.

Google Pakistan Country Director Farhan Qureshi said the company’s programmes, products, and services support an inclusive digital economy in Pakistan. Pakistan, the third-largest freelancing economy, needs digital skills, he added.

The organisation added three new courses: Business Intelligence, Advanced Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity.

Minister Haque fully supported Google’s GCC programme to teach Pakistanis digital skills. He noted that this programme supports the ministry’s goal of creating an ecosystem that unlocks the digital economy’s unlimited possibilities and provides equal opportunity to all Pakistanis. He complimented Google’s pledge to award 50% of scholarships to women, recognising gender equality in digital development.