Over 70 youngsters complete Digital Marketing workshop in Battagram

PESHAWAR, Jul 09 (APP):More than 70 youngsters including female students, completed a two-day digital marketing workshop held at the Hazara University Battagram Campus, as the district administration and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Affairs Department moved to implement a technical skills initiative announced during the 8th Metrix Pakistan Youth Summit.

The workshop was organised by District Youth Office Battagram in collaboration with RankingGrow and Metrix Pakistan.

Officials said the programme was conducted on the instructions of Taj Muhammad Khan Tarand, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Youth Affairs and Sports, with the objective of improving access to market-oriented technical education for young people.

The training programme covered digital marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), social media marketing, personal branding, artificial intelligence (AI) tools, content strategy and freelancing. Participants attended practical sessions designed to introduce them to career opportunities in the digital economy.

According to officials, the workshop was the first initiative launched under a series of technical skills programmes announced during the 8th Metrix Pakistan Youth Summit, which was held in Battagram last month. Similar training programmes are expected to be organised in phases across the district.

In a statement issued through his office, Mr Tarand said technical education had become an important component of youth development and economic progress.

“The changing nature of the global economy requires young people to acquire modern technical skills. Our objective is to ensure that youth across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including those living in remote districts, have access to quality training that enables them to compete in national and international markets,” he said.

The workshop was facilitated by Ammad Ali, chief executive officer of RankingGrow, who said practical skills had become increasingly important in the digital economy.

“Digital platforms have created opportunities that were unavailable a few years ago. The purpose of this training was to familiarise participants with practical tools and strategies that can help them build careers in freelancing, digital marketing and online entrepreneurship,” he said.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, District Youth Officer Alam Zeb Khan said the participation of more than 70 young people, including women, reflected a growing interest in technical education among the district’s youth.

“The response has been encouraging. We believe skill-based programmes can play an important role in improving employability and encouraging entrepreneurship. The District Youth Office will continue working with partner organisations to organise similar initiatives in the future,” he said.

Metrix Pakistan founder and chief executive officer Hassan Nisar said the workshop represented the implementation of commitments made during the youth summit.

“The summit was designed as a starting point for long-term engagement with young people. The announcement of technical skills programmes has now entered the implementation stage. Through collaboration with public institutions and private-sector partners, we intend to continue expanding opportunities for youth to acquire industry-relevant skills,” he said.

At the conclusion of the programme, shields were distributed among organisers. Officials said additional training initiatives focusing on digital skills, innovation and entrepreneurship would be rolled out in Battagram in the coming months as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen youth development through technical education.