Pakistan to Upskill 2,500 Youth in SAP for Global Job Market

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom has launched an ambitious plan to upskill 2,500 Pakistanis in SAP technologies. The programme aims to prepare youth for high-paying global jobs and strengthen the country’s long-term economic outlook. The initiative will be executed by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication through its technology fund, Ignite. Under the programme, Ignite will initially train 2,500 IT professionals in SAP technical certifications. The plan covers full support from training to examination, job placement, employer engagement, and even visa facilitation, ensuring graduates not only gain skills but also secure employment. Officials said the initiative can help tackle chronic underemployment, raise foreign remittances, and offer young Pakistanis legal pathways to global careers at a time when irregular migration remains a serious concern. The programme incorporates soft skills and introductory language modules such as German and Arabic to improve employability. Ignite explained that the concept is shaped by both domestic challenges and international opportunities. Pakistan’s youth face limited access to global markets and persistent skill gaps while global demand for SAP-certified talent continues to grow. More than four hundred thousand SAP specialists are currently needed worldwide, according to job portal estimates. The ministry said the programme aligns with national goals of increasing skilled employment and integrating Pakistan into global value chains. SAP systems are widely used across major enterprises, including Siemens, Volkswagen, DHL, Nestlé and Unilever, and more than half of Fortune 500 companies rely on SAP platforms. Demand is especially strong in Europe. According to Forrester, the European Union’s transition to SAP S or HANA alone has created a need for up to one hundred thousand new SAP consultants. Workforce shortages in countries such as Germany, Japan and the Netherlands make the market even more favourable for skilled Pakistani professionals. Ignite’s request for training partners shows the initiative will run in two batches. The first batch will train one thousand candidates, while the second will include fifteen hundred trainees, depending on performance benchmarks. Officials described the effort as a future-ready investment in Pakistan’s human capital and a practical step toward enabling young people to access stable and well-paid international careers.