Punjab Introduces Chief Minister’s IT Internship Program

The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has launched the Chief Minister’s IT Internship Program (CMITIP).

PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf officially launched the Chief Minister’s IT Internship Program at Arfa Software Technology Park. The program aims to reduce the gap between universities and the IT industry while providing job opportunities for young graduates.

The event was attended by DG e-Governance Sajid Latif, Director Skills Development Ahmed Islam, and representatives from both academia and the private sector.

Under this program, 2,000 paid internships will be offered to IT graduates across Punjab. Each internship will last five months and be divided into four batches. Every intern will receive a monthly stipend of 50,000 rupees, while the companies providing training will get 12,500 rupees per intern to cover administrative and mentoring costs.

During his speech, Faisal Yousaf said that the Chief Minister’s IT Internship Program is an important step toward preparing young people for the global digital market. He added that since Punjab produces about 45,000 IT graduates every year, this initiative will help them gain real-world experience and confidence to succeed in the technology field.

Companies registered with the Pakistan Software Export Board and having offices in Punjab can sign up on the program’s portal to host interns. Students with 16 years of IT-related education who graduated within the past four years can apply.

The selection process will include an online test and interviews conducted by participating companies. Interns will submit monthly progress reports verified by their supervisors, and stipends will be directly transferred to their bank accounts to ensure transparency.

With most of Pakistan’s IT companies located in Punjab and national IT exports reaching $3.8 billion in 2024–25, the program is expected to further boost Punjab’s role in the digital economy and help achieve the country’s IT export target of $10–18 billion by 2028.