Muhammad Umar Waqas
Pakistan is not facing a talent shortage, it is facing an opportunity crisis. That is the view of Majid Shah Bukhari, who believes the country is wasting its greatest national asset: its youth.
Speaking on the growing disconnect between academia and industry, Majid Shah Bukhari said employers across Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad often complain about the lack of skilled workers, while ignoring their own role in building talent.
“Walk into any boardroom and you hear the same line: ‘We can’t find good talent,’” he said. “As employers, we need to stop pointing fingers and ask what we are actually doing to create it.”
According to him, Pakistan’s demographic advantage is being lost to outdated educational systems. With nearly 64 percent of the population under 30, he said universities continue producing graduates trained in rote learning but lacking practical exposure.
“Students graduate with strong GPAs but little understanding of real-world systems,” he stated. “Industry cannot sit back and wait for a perfect pipeline.”
Majid Shah Bukhari, who leads The Deft Crew (www.thedeftcrew.com), a technology company focused on digital innovation and youth empowerment shared an example from the company’s recent hiring drive. He recalled meeting a young woman from rural Tando Muhammad Khan who, despite limited resources, had taught herself development skills that surpassed graduates from elite institutions.
“The hunger to learn exists everywhere,” he said. “We lose talent because we keep searching for it in the same places.”
Discussing Gen-Z career anxiety, Majid Shah Bukhari noted that many young people believe success depends on gender advantage or personal connections. However, he argued that the real issue is the lack of practical experience.
“The graduates surviving today are the ones pursuing hands-on projects and real exposure while studying,” he explained. “Businesses move too fast to train everyone from scratch.”
He also warned that Pakistan is making a “fatal macroeconomic mistake” by treating young people as cheap outsourcing labor instead of building a product-driven economy.
“We must move from being a low-cost digital sweatshop to a ‘Made in Pakistan’ innovation ecosystem,” he said.
To address the issue, The Deft Crew has partnered with universities to bridge the industry-academia gap and is launching “The Deft Crew App,” a platform connecting students with verified internships, skill tracks, and live industry assignments.
Calling for broader reforms, Bukhari urged the government to introduce mandatory apprenticeships and stronger local-first policies.
“The talent is ready,” he concluded. “Pakistan simply needs to give its youth a place to stand.” Majid Shah Bukhari, CEO of The Deft Crew tells The Financial Daily.
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