Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has sanctioned Rs500 million to initiate IT certification programs across three universities in Sindh. The initiative aims to enhance the IT skills of students and professionals, contributing to a broader poverty reduction strategy in the province. During a meeting to finalize the MOU, the CM highlighted that the program is designed to equip participants with practical skills and industry-recognized certifications, helping them stand out in a competitive job market.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chairman HEC Prof Tariq Rafi, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary of Information, Science & Technology Noor Ahmad Samon, Secretary U&B Abbas Baloch, NED University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Suresh Lodhi, IBA Sukkur Vice-Chancellor Dr. Asif Shaikh, Mehran University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Tauha Hussain, IT Department’s Member AyazUqaili, and others. Noor Samo, Secretary of IT, provided a briefing, stating that NED University will offer IT courses in Karachi Division and Tharparkar District, Mehran University will cover Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas Divisions, and Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, and IBA University will cover Larkana Division. The program is initially designed to benefit 10,000 youth, with the potential for scaling up. The CM has provided Rs. 500 million to the Sindh IT dept under the `Initiative of Capacity Building’ to the respective universities.
The Chief Minister was informed that the IT Certificate program includes the certifications: Certified JAVA Developer, Certified Python Developer, Certified Database Administrator, Certified Graphic Designer, Certified E-Commerce Professional, Certified Digital Marketing Professional, Certified Web Developer, Certified Mobile Application Developer, and Certified Data Scientist. In response to a question, Secretary of IT Noor Samoo informed the Chief Minister that each certificate has a two-month duration.
The certification courses will be conducted five days a week, from Monday to Friday. Each batch will consist of 30 to 35 participants. The program will be conducted in two phases: IT certification in the first phase and incentivization of the selected/top-ranked participants. All IT certifications will be offered physically at the centres. At the conclusion MOU was signed by the Sindh IT Secretary with NED University Karachi, IBA Sukkur, Mehran University Jamshoro.
