Huawei certifications under PM’s ICT training initiative: Tech skills will increasingly shape careers well beyond IT sector: minister

ISLAMABAD: Technology skills will increasingly shape careers well beyond the IT sector, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima said on Wednesday, urging young Pakistanis to move beyond simply using technology and learn to create and innovate with it.

“Whatever field our young people choose, technology will increasingly be part of their professional journey,” she said while addressing students who completed the Huawei Summer ICT Training Programme.

Fatima was speaking at a certificate distribution ceremony at the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication for students from Islamabad’s public-sector schools who completed Huawei certifications under the Prime Minister’s ICT training initiative.

Six students completed between 26 and 33 certifications during the programme, with Class 9 student Ayesha Zaib achieving the highest number at 33. Class 12 student Hifsa Waqas and Class 9 student Hadia Zarnab completed 28 certifications each, while Laiba Nadeem of Class 12 and Sajafah Farooq of Class 9 completed 27 each. Class 7 student Ayesha Mujtaba completed 26 certifications.

Congratulating the students on their achievements, the minister said digital skills were becoming essential across professions as technology continued to transform the economy and workplace.

She encouraged the students to build on their training by exploring areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, software development and data science, and by applying their knowledge to practical problems.

“Pakistan has immense talent. We want our young people not only to consume technology, but to create it, innovate with it and offer their talent to the world,” she said.

Fatima also urged the students to share their knowledge with classmates and encourage more girls to pursue technology-related fields and opportunities in the digital economy.

She advised them to regard the certifications as the beginning of a longer learning journey rather than an endpoint.

Ahmed Bilal Masood, CEO AI and Cloud at Huawei Pakistan, said the company remained committed to developing ICT skills among young Pakistanis through industry-oriented training and practical exposure.

The certification programme was organised in collaboration with Huawei Technologies Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026