Islamabad—Pakistan’s global IT revenue, with an average growth of around 50% per annum, is expected to realize targets by the end of financial year 2009-10. Country’s IT sector, over the last few years, has been growing at a remarkable rate and to meet the future objective, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) is focusing on the growth of skilled human resource.Keeping in view its prime objective - the development of future workforce, the Board has devised an open-door policy for the provision of financial subsidies, technical support and partnerships, not only for the IT companies, but also for the educational institutions.
In this respect, PSEB is working with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to augment the influx of quality graduates into the industry, said an official at the Board.
It had launched an Internship Programme to undertake match making between fresh IT graduates and IT companies and to provide grooming to graduates where necessary.
This programme is also aimed towards the development of confidence amongst the Pakistani IT business managers regarding the output of IT-oriented educational institutes.
So far, more than 3300 graduates from 220 universities and institutes across the country have been placed in 250 IT companies and IT departments of public and private sector organizations for a period of three months.
The retention rate by the IT companies has been more than 80%, another 10-50% received job offers from other organizations because of their internship experience. This permanent retention rate is the highest of any Internship Program in the country. In Internships Phase-III, interns are being paid a revised stipend of Rs. 6,000 per month, for a period of 3 months. Over 1,600 students will benefit from this revised programme in the next one year. A web portal will also be established to further streamline the process.
According to the official, PSEB is also facilitating the graduates as well as the IT companies by acting as a liaison point for the provision of quality graduates that match the companies requirements. It also provides ongoing trainings and industry-standard certifications to professionals, and undertakes research to benchmark IT professionals and graduates in the country. The official said in order to sustain and improve growth, IT companies in Pakistan need around 235,000 working professionals by the end of year 2009-10. Currently, that number is a little above 100,000 and approximately 135,000 more professionals are needed in the next two years.
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