ISLAMABAD: Tania Aidrus, Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Digital Pakistan, said this week that IBM Corp. would soon be launching its free digital education platform focused on workplace learning and digital skills in Pakistan.
At its Think Digital conference in May, IBM announced the launch of Open P-TECH, which builds on the industry leading P-TECH program to equip 14-20-year old learners and educators with foundational technology competencies and training in technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity, along with professional skills like Design Thinking.
“IBM is launching Open P-TECH in Pakistan to help develop talent and equip them with technical and professional proficiency in AI, Data Science, CyberSecurity, Cloud, etc — enabling our workforce for a #DigitalPakistan,” Aidrus said on Twitter.
First launched by IBM in 2011, the P-TECH [Pathways to Technology Early College High School] model has been adopted in 220 schools across 24 countries with over 150,000 students and 600 corporate partners. Open P-TECH scales the most essential workplace preparation elements of the P-TECH program, according to an IBM press release from May, and provides modules for students and teachers that include courses on emerging technologies and professional competencies, both leading to free digital badges that students can share on their online resumes.
Using the platform, students preparing for internships and new collar jobs earn the same badges as professionals in the field. In tandem with this, the program offers online webinars on a variety of workplace topics, along with activities that students can engage in over the summer. Initially launched across Australia, Brazil, India and the United States, Open P-TECH is bringing components of the P-TECH model to 250,000 additional students in these countries.
“As the pandemic accelerates digital transformation, new ways of learning must keep pace if we are to equip all young people with skills relevant to the digital era and marketplace,” Ginni Rometty, IBM Executive Chairman, said at Open P-teach’s launch event in May.
“On the one hand, this is a massive challenge; on the other, this presents a great opportunity to better prepare people for new collar careers. Open P-TECH is a free platform designed to provide relevant workplace skills to anyone in the world so they can be successful in this digital era.”
Coming soon to Pakistan: IBM platform that provides workplace skills for the digital era
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Coming soon to Pakistan: IBM platform that provides workplace skills for the digital era
- Open P-TECH provides foundational technology competencies, training in AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity
- Will prepare Pakistani workforce for ‘Digital Pakistan,’ Tania Aidrus says
Pakistan reports decline in polio cases in 2025
- Cases drop to 30 from 74 in 2024, with no new infections recorded since September
- Authorities plan intensified targeted drives in 2026 to halt remaining transmission
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported a sharp decline in polio cases in 2025, with infections falling to 30 from 74 a year earlier, as intensified vaccination campaigns and improved surveillance helped curb the spread of the virus, health authorities said on Wednesday.
No new polio cases have been recorded anywhere in the country since September, said a statement, as Pakistan carried out six polio campaigns, including five nationwide drives, trying to reach children in high-risk areas and improve monitoring of virus circulation.
Despite the decline, the authorities cautioned that poliovirus continues to circulate in some districts, requiring sustained vigilance to prevent a resurgence.
“Targeted interventions, robust community engagement, and ongoing vaccination efforts remain essential to reach every missed child and prevent any resurgence,” the official statement said.
“Frontline health workers, security personnel, and local authorities continue to work in close coordination to maintain high immunity levels and ensure that Pakistan remains on course toward becoming polio-free,” it added.
The most recent nationwide campaign, conducted from Dec. 15 to 21, achieved more than 98 percent coverage across the country, including all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the capital, Islamabad.
Authorities reported an 18 percent reduction in the number of missed children compared with the previous round, with notable improvements in access and operations in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a longstanding challenge area.
Pakistan’s polio eradication drive relies on close coordination between health workers, security personnel and local authorities, amid ongoing resistance in some communities and access constraints in remote or insecure regions.
Officials said district-specific interventions, including improved microplanning, better deployment of vaccination teams and enhanced community outreach, were being used to address remaining gaps, particularly in parts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The statement said Pakistan plans to intensify targeted efforts in 2026 to interrupt the remaining transmission chains and move closer to eliminating the disease.
