United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded 'Pakistan JOBS Project', held an 'IT Roundtable' in conjunction with National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and select IT corporate partners. The roundtable was organised in conjunction with NUST Career Development Centre (CDC) and was used as a showcase platform and a learning experience in the private sector outreach for CDC participants from educational institutes.
The CDC at NUST is one of the 15 career development centres set up by USAID Pakistan JOBS Project at institutions across Pakistan. The focus of the event was to discuss collaborative IT projects and determine employer requirements in order to enhance competitive skills of IT graduates. The roundtable was moderated by JOBS International Private Limited (JIPL) and aimed to create more venues for synergy between the private sector and academia.
"IT Roundtable will open doors to a world of opportunities for the youth and women job seekers of Pakistan by creating synergy between the human resource needs of the IT sector and the supply of these skills by premier institutions such as NUST," said Ms Elli Takagaki, CEO of JIPL, one of the implementing partners of USAID Pakistan JOBS Project.
Pro-Rector (I&E), NUST, Muhammad Mushtaq stated, "USAID Pakistan JOBS Project's IT Roundtable and Career Development Centre (CDC) initiative are helping bridge the gap between industry and academia, and will help better prepare NUST graduates for the job market."
"Such roundtables and initiatives serve to nurture the fundamental link between industry and academia that forms the backbone of a productive and efficient workforce, especially in fast-paced and constantly evolving sectors such as information technology," added Dr Aamir Matin, Country Director, Cisco Systems, which has collaboration with NUST.
The event was attended by Mark Nolan, Chief of Party, USAID Pakistan JOBS Project, Pro-Rector (I&E), NUST, Muhammad Mushtaq, and Pro-Rector (A&R), NUST, Dr Asif Raza, along with Dr Aamir Matin, Country Director of Cisco Systems and senior representatives from PTCL, Techaccess and IBM.
The USAID Pakistan JOBS Project aims to support Government of Pakistan in its efforts to improve competitiveness of its economy by strengthening systems for workforce development, encourage Pakistani companies to invest in human capital, and improve access to training, jobs and business opportunities for youths and women.-PR