Efforts on to groom quality IT professionals: Awais

Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said on Tuesday that all the steps were being taken to groom quality information technology (IT) professionals to meet the demands of ever craving and absorbing industry.
Speaking at a two-day Microsoft Pakistan Developer Conference, 2007 here, the minister said Research and Development Fund (R&DF) under the ministry had been allocated to encourage the IT talented lot in the country.
He urged the youth to come forward and translate their innovative ideas in this field into reality. "Government takes every step to facilitate you, R&DF is meant for those persons, who have technology access and practical ideas," he added.
Awais informed that certain IT products were in the pipeline, which would be approved by Microsoft, Pakistan, and funded by the Ministry. Enumerating some other steps taken for the promotion of IT culture in youth, the minister said about 50 schools in remote areas of the Punjab were approached.
Under Outreach Scholarship Programme, he said that a six-week training programme was imparted by the FAST and the results were amazing, while around 5,000 students in the four provinces would be able to get similar training, he added. The minister for IT said in collaboration with Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), professionals from around 20 universities would be able to get a four-week IT training programme.
He informed that about 50,000 rupees were being spent for the capacity building of each professional, adding that considering the significance of tele-connectivity, the government took paradigm shift.
"Now there is mushrooming growth of telecommunication companies with six to seven optical fibers enabling broadband services," he added. He said within next six to one year period, a concentration of 20,000 population would have two broadband services.
He also lauded the ambitious projects of Microsoft, Pakistan, and said the collective efforts in the IT field would transform the country into well-advanced one. Country Manager Microsoft, Pakistan, Kamal Ahmed informed that 30 regional and international IT experts were attending the conference.
He said Microsoft Innovative Centre in Karachi would be established soon on government's request. Strategic Consultant and Director Project Botticelli Ltd, Rafal Lukawieckl in his speech said that IT and telecommunication revolution was being witnessed in Pakistan.
He expressed the hope that it would contribute to knowledge based economy. The minister also gave away 'Imagine Cup' award to LUMS team and runner up Quaid-e-Aiwan University, Karachi. The conference is simultaneously being held in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore and attended by 25,000 interested professionals.