Pakistan’s growing investment in youth development is encouraging, but it must translate into meaningful employment if it is to drive sustainable economic progress, says Majid Shah Bukhari, Founder and CEO of The Deft Crew ,a technology and digital solutions company that also operates a student ecosystem connecting young people with professional skills, internships, and career opportunities.
Bukhari observes that while successive governments have introduced youth schemes, skills programmes, and training initiatives with confidence, the real measure of success is how many young Pakistanis secure productive employment. Investment in training alone, he argues, cannot solve unemployment if the economy is not generating enough jobs.
According to him, Pakistan’s policy approach has focused heavily on employability while overlooking the broader conditions required for job creation. “Employability only becomes meaningful when businesses are hiring, industries are expanding, and the private sector has the confidence to invest,” he says.
As a result, many young people complete their education and training only to enter a labour market offering limited opportunities, uncertain prospects, and restricted career growth. This disconnect, Bukhari notes, fuels underemployment, frustration, and the migration of skilled talent.
He believes Pakistan does not suffer from a shortage of capable youth but from a shortage of opportunities. Instead of relying solely on skills programmes, the country needs an employment strategy linked to investment, industrial growth, entrepreneurship, and market demand.
“If the youth budget is rising, the job market must rise with it,” Bukhari remarks. “Otherwise, Pakistan will continue producing skilled disappointment instead of skilled progress.”
Reflecting this vision, The Deft Crew has established a student ecosystem in partnership with more than ten universities to help young people develop professional skills, secure internships, and access career opportunities.
Bukhari concludes that the success of any youth policy should ultimately be judged by one benchmark alone: whether it creates meaningful and sustainable employment.
