Naveed Ahmed

Pakistan can become a significant provider of digital services to the global semiconductor industry and earn a handsome foreign exchange by spending more on high-quality training of its workforce, reports WealthPK.

Dr Rashid Ramzan, Professor at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST National University), told WealthPK that Pakistan needs to develop a workforce that can offer design services to the world semiconductor industry if it wants to become a future technological hub.

“This opportunity has arisen since every country wants an independent Global Positioning System (GPS). There are now seven operational GPS systems worldwide. Apart from that, new systems are being developed, which need semiconductor chips with various designs, encryptions, and frequencies. Furthermore, one of our neighbours, China, has over 30,000 semiconductor companies and imports a lot of semiconductors. To fill the unfilled roles, their sector needs 500,000 designers,’’ he said.

Talking to WealthPK, Dr. Naveed Sherwani, Chairman, President and CEO of RapidSilicon, said, “We estimate that 500,000 foreign workers will be required in China over the next three years. People outside of China can do these jobs online with just a laptop, an internet connection, and some design software. Although China has thousands of universities, it is working to increase its labour force for the semiconductor sector. If Pakistan can initially fill 100,000 positions, it would play an important role in the country's economic revival as well."

“After completing training at local institutions, workers can pursue their careers in international job markets. Currently, there are many occupations on the internet. Anyone trained for nine to ten months is eligible for these roles, which have an annual salary range of comfortably between $10,000 and $20,000. This would be a fantastic source of foreign remittances for Pakistan's economy,’’ he said.

However, he added, a technical training ecosystem and infrastructure must be developed. Use of technology should be widespread in order to maximize its advantages. One tactic for reaching this goal is to use virtual ways to simultaneously instruct thousands of people. The employees may also keep up with new technologies through these trainings, Rashid continued.

In addition to the semiconductor business, there are many additional options for software employment. There are between 500,000 and 750,000 job openings in the realm of artificial intelligence and development operations.

Furthermore, the majority of these jobs were offered by businesses with headquarters in Europe, America, and other nations. Rashid said the opportunities in semiconductor and other software-related industries will be extremely beneficial to the economy if Pakistani education and training institutions widely provide training.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk