The first cohort of CEC's Youth Digital Skills Programme has completed its four-month training cycle — and the results, by any measure, are promising. Of the 31 young people who started, 28 completed the programme. Of those completers, 22 have already transitioned into paid digital work within 90 days of graduation.
What the Programme Taught
The curriculum covered foundational computer literacy, data entry and management, basic graphic design using free tools, and introduction to freelance platforms. The goal was not to produce expert practitioners in a single skill, but to give young people enough competence across multiple digital tasks to be employable — and enough confidence to keep learning.
"Before I started, I could use a phone but I was afraid of computers. Now I am doing data entry work for a company in Lahore, from home. My family cannot believe it."
— Bilal, 21, programme graduate
Where Graduates Are Headed
The employment pathways look different for different graduates. Eight are doing remote data entry work for businesses in other cities. Five have begun earning through freelance graphic design on Fiverr and similar platforms. Three are employed full-time at local businesses that needed digital skills they could not previously find. The remaining six are continuing to look, but with a CV and a portfolio they did not have before.
What Made This Cohort Different
Programme staff reflect that three things distinguished this cohort. First, the cohort was small enough that each participant got consistent individual attention. Second, the training included a sustained internship component — not just exposure, but structured practice on real tasks for real clients. Third, a peer mentorship element, pairing each participant with a digital professional from the community, gave participants a model of what was possible and a person to ask questions of outside class hours.
What Comes Next
CEC is planning a second cohort with a target of 45 participants, incorporating feedback from the first cycle. Additions to the curriculum will include basic accounting using digital tools and an expanded section on client communication — a skill several graduates identified as something they wished they had been better prepared for. Applications for the second cohort will open in September.
