Rationale

Amidst most pressing social issues of Pakistan, poverty and youth unemployment surpasses the intensity of every other social issue. Pre-COVID, poverty level in Pakistan was 24.3% but COVID has levelled all the efforts of last two decades with sharp reversal and pushed 40% Pakistanis under poverty line (IMF 2020). More than 14.5 million people have lost their jobs and post COVID unemployment rate is estimated between 4.6-4.8% (PIDE 2020). In parallel, there is a growing freelancing market in Pakistan as the number of Pakistani freelancers has skyrocketed in the last few years. Pakistan now ranks number four (4) in the top freelance countries ranking. This growth has been mainly fueled by Pakistani youth and government’s investment in enhancing their digital skills, combined with a young population where over 60% of people are aged under 30. These initiatives have given freelancers an unprecedented access to international jobs and in turn Pakistan has seen higher inflows of foreign exchange.

Partnership for Establishment of Freelancing Center

Human Development Foundation Pakistan (HDF), signed a partnership with Creative Innovative Unit (CIU), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to setup a state-of-the-art Freelancing Center in HDF’s Technical Vocation Center for Youth in its Mardan Region.

The center will be Govt. approved Freelancing Center and will be powered by system, established curriculum, certification and teacher training mechanism of PITB, which it initiated as eRozgaar in 2015 and has matured and scaled across the country as National Freelancing Training Program.

Proven impact of Freelancing

There are 41 active freelancing centers set-up by Punjab Information Technology Board from which 28000 candidates are trained (54% females), there are more than 40000 direct and indirect beneficiaries and the income of graduates reported during the training is more than Rs. 350 million.

Through proposed freelancing center in Mardan, HDF will assist youth in earning sustainable income and create employment opportunities for others. Estimated number of graduates of freelancing courses in a year is 800 in first year and after first year, it will train 1,000 graduate boys and girls, helping their families come out of poverty. This sustained income will significantly contribute to poor families’ abilities to access better food, better health and better education for their children.

Also, as Pakistan is fourth largest freelancing market, so these graduates will contribute to increased foreign remittances, which will contribute to overall economic growth of country.

Capacity of Freelancing Center

The center will have three fully equipped class rooms, to accommodate 100 students in one batch.

• Each batch will be of three months course
• The center will run three batches in parallel i.e., Morning, Afternoon and Evening classes.

 Investment

PS: Capital expenditures are one time investment and includes cost of laptops, multimedia and audio-visual equipment for class rooms, desks and chairs, air conditioners and other furnishing of class rooms. A donor or group of donors can fund a classroom, which will be named after the donor. HDF Pakistan is contributing additional costs such as renovation of building, branding and marketing cost, cost of technical advisors for the project and cost co-working space for the graduates, to start their own startups/businesses.

Return on Investment

Investment per Student: USD $45

Return on Investment: According to data of actual graduates of Freelancing Program, average monthly income of a graduate ranges between USD$ 50 to USD$ 4000

Invest in Future: Freelancing will take most of the future jobs due to: -

• Lower operational costs
• Multiple tasks at the same time
• Learning through work
• No dress code
• Opportunity for all (No gender bias)
• Companies and employers are now looking for specialized people for one off projects
• Having employees is getting expensive for businesses
• No worries for job security
• Technology favors gig economy
• No limit on how much work one can do and money one can make
• Working globally
• Have a positive influence in country’s economy