ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s flagship Digital Youth Hub has surpassed 800,000 registered users, officials said on Tuesday, as the government and UNICEF step up efforts to expand digital skills training and employment opportunities for young people in a country where nearly two-thirds of the population is under 30.
Pakistan’s large youth population is widely viewed as both an economic opportunity and a policy challenge. Each year, millions of young Pakistanis enter the labor market but job creation has struggled to keep pace with population growth, prompting successive governments to prioritize skills development, entrepreneurship and digital inclusion.
The Digital Youth Hub, launched under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP), is designed to connect young people with training courses, scholarships, employment opportunities, mentorship programs and entrepreneurial support through a centralized online platform.
“The remarkable growth of the Digital Youth Hub, which has now surpassed 800,000 registered users, demonstrates strong youth engagement and growing demand for digital learning and opportunity platforms,” said a statement issued after a meeting between the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad and Generation Unlimited Chief Executive Officer Kevin Frey and UNICEF Pakistan Representative Pernille Ironside.
The discussions focused on expanding opportunities for young people through digital inclusion, skills development and employment-focused programs.
Mashhood described Pakistan’s youth population as a strategic national asset and emphasized the need for sustained investment in skills development, employment generation and youth empowerment.
He also briefed the delegation on government efforts to develop a National Youth Employment Policy and a National Adolescent and Youth Policy aimed at improving economic opportunities and creating a more supportive environment for young people.
Frey welcomed the growth of the Digital Youth Hub and said its expanding reach reflected the aspirations and active participation of Pakistan’s youth, according to the statement.
He also stressed the importance of equipping young people with entrepreneurial, digital and future-ready skills to improve employability and support innovation, according to the statement.
Both sides described the Digital Youth Hub as a platform connecting youth with learning resources, employment opportunities, mentorship and career development services, and pledged to deepen cooperation on youth development initiatives, the statement said.
