Acute Shortage of Quality IT Professionals – The No. 1 Problem of the IT Sector

In Pakistan, a time will come soon when no person will be considered even for the post of a peon, whether in private or the public sector, until and unless he or she is not an IT literate. KRG is trying to convey this message to the youth of our nation since last ten years which is available on media records as well. And now, never too late, besides the private sector, the government has acknowledged this ground reality by taking a historical decision that no government employee will be given an increment or promotion until and unless he or she becomes an IT literate. So, no question arises at all that new recruitments for any post will be made without being IT literate.

Moreover, now-a-days new definition of LITERACY is emerging on the international scenario according to which, nobody including even professionals will be considered a complete professional, until and unlesshe or she is IT literate. Furthermore, the Sindh Education and IT Ministers have time and again reiterated that Information Technology (IT) will be made a compulsory subject for all the students once necessary infrastructures (such as IT Labs and Internet Lines) are completed.

Recently, all major IT firms and associations in a high level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, unanimously declared acute shortage of quality IT professionals in the country as the No. 1 problem being faced by the IT sector of our country. KRG has been regularly inviting attention to this very grave issue which is now seriously threatening the growth of IT/Software Industry and specially the software exports of Pakistan.

One of the most important solutions to this growing problem of lack of “Quality HR” is to ensure a “Continuous Industry & Academia Interaction”. PASHA and our educational institutes should lead this initiative. Moreover, all key players like the government, private sector organizations, NGOs and media, individually and jointly should carryout effective and comprehensive nationwide campaigns to attract more and more talent of the country in this sector which is a crying need of the hour.

If one doesn’t recognize the importance of IT “NOW” especially in the view of above mentioned facts and situation, then there would “NEVER” be a second chance to rectify oneself.