Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has placed strong attention on expanding IT education across Punjab. Her plan puts girls and young women at the center of this effort. The goal is to give them skills that match today’s digital economy. The policy also aims to reduce the education gap between urban and rural areas.
The government is upgrading schools with smart classrooms, digital labs, and modern equipment. Students will use computers in daily learning. This helps them build confidence in technology. Many girls in government schools had limited access to devices in the past. The new facilities are meant to change that. Teachers are receiving training so they can teach coding, basic programming, and digital literacy with confidence.
The government launched a large IT skills program for rural women. The program offers six months of training in digital skills. The target is thousands of young women from different districts. The training includes web development, graphic design, social media marketing, online business skills, and freelancing. Participants receive financial support during the training. They also get computers and internet devices at the end of the course so they can continue learning and start earning from home.
The Chief Minister has repeated that women in rural Punjab must receive equal access to technology. She has directed departments to place female trainees as a priority group. Field teams are visiting villages to enroll girls who have never used a computer before. Many participants will use digital tools for the first time in these sessions. The program offers a structured pathway from training to online work. This helps women build income streams inside their homes.
The government is also introducing laptop distribution for deserving students. The focus is on public sector colleges and universities. Many girls depend on shared household devices. The new laptop policy aims to support their studies and skill development. The laptops are linked with free online courses and government training platforms.
Digital transport support for girls is another part of the plan. Special vans are being added for female students in colleges. This improves attendance and access to IT labs. Safety and affordability were major barriers for many girls. The transport program reduces those problems.
The policy also supports the idea of building a strong freelancing and tech workforce inside Punjab. The province has seen continuous growth in online earning. Many women in small towns want to join freelancing platforms but lack training. The government wants to close that gap. Officials are creating job support centers to guide trainees on portfolio building, account creation, and communication skills.
The broader goal is to prepare youth for remote jobs, local tech startups, and global digital markets. The Chief Minister wants every student to have at least one digital skill before graduation. The government is linking schools with industry experts so that the curriculum stays updated with market needs.
Challenges remain. Internet access in some remote districts is still weak. In many villages, social restrictions limit girls from attending training centers. To address this, the government is encouraging home based learning and mobile training units. Monitoring teams are collecting data on how many women complete the courses and begin earning.
Early response from families has been positive. Many women have already started online work after training. Teachers report increased interest in IT subjects among girls. School heads say the new digital labs have improved attendance.
Punjab’s focus on IT education for girls reflects a long term shift. It prepares a large segment of the population for modern jobs. It also increases economic participation and digital inclusion. The government plans to expand these initiatives to every district in phases.
