The current government is very conscious of the role of skills education towards economic development. The establishment of National Skills University is the first platform to provide opportunities for youth benefitting from several ongoing initiatives. This university will strive to preserve and popularize indigenous trades besides much needed 21st-century skills. The digital skills village program will be an effort for indigenous skills, whereas advanced skills training will be via initiating undergraduate degree programs in emerging fields of AI, Cybersecurity, Machine Learning, Internet of things, and cloud computing.

The university will provide opportunities for trainees of the Presidential Initiative on Artificial Intelligence & Computing – a program developing skills among youth in domains of 5G, AI, computing technologies, internet of things and augmented reality. Likewise, Prime Minister’s KamyabJawan National Youth Development Program is an effort to train youth in high-tech trades and emerging technologies across Pakistan. The National Skills University being a federal higher education institute, will create a space for youth completing these programs to expand their skills horizons.

Continued developments in information communication technologies coupled with rapid advancements in scientific and social domains, have challenged educational systems across the globe. Conventional academic degrees are and will continue to be requisite credentials for the suitability of workforce in any industry. However, employers are looking towards human resource ready for workplaces having essential skills. This scenario transformed education systems, and savvy nations have embarked on integrating skills framework۔ The National Skills University is a timely initiative to produce youth with tailored skills for employers/industrialists are demanding.