Pakistan’s services industry generates under $2 billion in export revenue annually, while the academic side produces roughly 10,000 graduates per year.
Ziauddin University’s ZEAL Future Enablement Program will accept up to 50 participants for each cohort, helping them to gain critical skills in digital media planning, social media, Google Ads, business communication, branding, and search engine optimization. To alter the course of the nation, East River CEO Faizan S. Syed established the training facility.
Z2C Limited, a venture accelerator that invests in and launches MarTech start-ups, has taken a step to increase the quality and quantity of advertising industry talent in Pakistan through its Publicis Groupe Delivery (PGD) affiliated export-first digital agency Activ8 and fast-track courses with East River and Ziauddin University.
Pakistan’s services industry generates under $2 billion in export revenue annually, while the academic side produces roughly 10,000 graduates per year.
India’s services industry produces over $100 billion in exports annually, and the academic space produces over 500,000 graduates. LinkedIn data shows that the quality of Indian engineers and marketers is so high that Fortune 500 technology companies set up back offices in the country.
According to keynotes delivered by Careem and Systems Limited, the low quality of Pakistani graduates stems from a disconnect between what the market wants and how academics choose to teach students. To solve this, partnerships between leading companies and institutions are needed.
The 12-week innovative programme, which draws inspiration from Brainchild’s top-ranked management trainee programme, aims to build a talent pool of skilled digital resources at the management or project trainee level.
The provost of Ziauddin University, Dr. Nida Hussain, said, “We are happy to partner with East River Digital, Z2C Limited, and Activ8 to give our students the opportunity to gain practical experience and develop critical skills in digital media. We believe that this programme will equip the next generation of digital leaders with the knowledge and critical skills they need to succeed in their careers.
Faizan S. Syed, the CEO of East River, stated, “By educating and empowering our talent to serve international markets, we create a new set of digital marketing resources that can serve the world from Pakistan and bring much-needed foreign investment to this country.”
The ZEAL program will be delivered by expert trainers from East River, Z2C Limited, and Activ8, with additional support from Ziauddin University. Classes will be conducted every Saturday until May 19, 2023, at both the ZIAuddin University Clifton and North sites.
The goal is to increase the quality and quantity of talent that will shift the country to a service industry model. Businesses and executives need to be upskilled in digital marketing and creative strategy in order to improve the effectiveness of customer lifetime value initiatives.
Activ8 is an example of an expert model for advertising agencies in Pakistan, training existing talent to work on global brands in the MENA and APAC regions. Through its relationship with Publicis Groupe, Activ8 provides exposure to regional megabrands and their campaigns, providing learning opportunities and growth for work placement abroad.
Saadi Gouse, the director of digital transformation at Publicis Groupe in Pakistan, stated that executives everywhere need training on the platforms and tools that make their jobs easier.
“The executive who refuses to upskill and adapt will be replaced by the executive who is data literate. The biggest change that data and AI bring about is the dissolution of barriers between technology and business. They can no longer be told apart. Companies must change by blurring the lines between technical and non-technical roles.”