By Dr. Abdul Sattar
Pakistan possesses a resource more valuable than oil, minerals or foreign investment: its young people. More than 60 percent of the population is under 30. This enormous youth population can become the engine of economic transformation or, if neglected, one of the country’s greatest challenges. Economists call this opportunity the “YOUTH DIVIDEND.” I call it Pakistan’s last best chance.
But a dividend does not automatically translate into prosperity. It must be cultivated and harvested. Pakistan can harvest its youth to become skilled, productive, employable and economically independent.
For decades, success has meant obtaining a degree, finding a secure job—preferably in government—and settling down. That model is no longer realistic. Technology has transformed the workplace and geography is increasingly irrelevant.
A degree is valuable, but a degree without employable skills can leave a young person frustrated and dependent. Every student should graduate with at least one marketable skill alongside academic qualifications. Coding, artificial intelligence, data analysis, digital marketing, graphic design, e-commerce, cybersecurity, accounting and technical trades can open doors that traditional qualifications alone cannot. Young people should ask not merely, “What degree will I get?” but “What value can I create?”
University should not be four years of waiting for graduation. Students should undertake internships, apprenticeships, freelance assignments and industry projects while studying. A graduate with a qualification and practical experience enters the labour market with confidence. Universities must become bridges to the world of work, not isolated academic islands.
Youth are now growing up in a digital world. A laptop, reliable internet and the right skill can become a workplace. Freelancing should not be treated merely as a side activity. For many, it can become a genuine career, if young people learn how to find clients, build portfolios, communicate professionally and compete internationally.
In a globalised economy, language is an economic skill. English remains essential, but young Pakistanis should also learn international languages such as German, French, Spanish and Chinese. Proficiency in these languages can expand opportunities in international employment, remote work, freelancing, tourism, trade and professional services. A young person who combines a technical skill with a foreign language can access markets far beyond Pakistan. Language skills can turn a local qualification into a global career.
Pakistan cannot provide a traditional salaried job to every young person. Nor should every young person expect one.
We must develop an entrepreneurial mindset—the ability to identify problems, recognise opportunities and create solutions.
One successful entrepreneur can create employment for many others. That is how the youth dividend multiplies. Moreover, youth harvesting must not become an urban project. Millions of young Pakistanis live in rural areas, where agriculture offers opportunities through technology, mechanisation, livestock, food processing, storage, logistics and digital marketplaces.
We can capture these opportunities by exporting local products.
No country can fully harvest its youth dividend while many young women remain economically inactive.
Educated young women can become professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, freelancers and business leaders. Digital work can create flexible opportunities and unlock talent that otherwise remains underused. Women’s participation is thus not merely a social issue; it is economic mathematics.
Technical competence alone cannot build a successful society. Young people also need discipline, time management skills, honesty, responsibility, teamwork and resilience. Character-building is not separate from employability. Employers need people who can perform a task and be trusted to perform it responsibly.
Too many young people choose degrees because friends are doing the same, parents prefer them or a profession appears prestigious. Career counselling should begin before university so students understand their abilities and labour-market demands.
Simply a graduation or master’s degree can no longer guarantee a lifetime career. Artificial intelligence, automation and mechanisation are transforming occupations rapidly. Young people therefore need lifelong learning—the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn.
Although government has an important role, it cannot harvest the youth dividend alone. Its main responsibility should be to create an ecosystem in which young people can succeed: quality education, skills infrastructure, reliable internet, access to finance, fair recruitment, business-friendly regulations and opportunities for internships and apprenticeships. It must replace patronage with merit and create conditions where talent—not connections—determines success.
Responsibility is shared.
Universities must produce relevant knowledge. Businesses must create opportunities. Families must encourage skills, discipline and independence. And young people themselves must take responsibility for their future.
Most importantly, individual and institutional success should be measured by outcomes, not certificates: How many young people found meaningful employment? How many increased their incomes? How many started businesses? How many secured international clients? How many became employers rather than job seekers?
That is how a youth dividend should be measured.
Pakistan does not have a shortage of young people. It has a shortage of pathways through which youth’s energy, talent and ambition can be converted into economic value.
Our youth window will not remain open forever. We can continue producing degrees and waiting for jobs—or we can produce skills, entrepreneurs, innovators, professionals and global workers.
THE CHOICE IS OURS.
Let us not merely count our young people. Let us equip them, trust them and unleash them. Because the greatest harvest Pakistan can ever produce is not from its fields. It is from its youth.
