Pakistan currently has the largest generation of young people in its history. According to a recent United Nations Development Program report, 64 percent of the total Pakistan population is below the age of 30. That makes it the second youngest country in South Asia after Afghanistan and one of the youngest in the world.
This “youth bulge” provides unique challenges as well as opportunities for the country’s social and economic progress. The critical question is will Pakistanis grow older before they get richer? The answer to this question lies in the country’s development and implementation of a strategy to educate and utilize the potential of Pakistan’s young population.
Fortunately, the new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly expressed its intent to develop Pakistan’s human capital through education and training. The vision is there. But it will be difficult to implement because of the current lack of technical education for the country’s youth.
