Google Certification

Skills Development & Tech-Led Employability

Sign-Up/Show-of-Interest Form

The Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training (M/o FEPT) in Pakistan is launching the Skills Development & Tech-Led Employability project to enhance the employability of young people, particularly in the tech industry. As a component of the project, the Google Certifications project will provide scholarships to selected students (and other aspirants) to take selected courses and certifications offered by Google for free. This document provides an overview of the project, eligibility criteria, application process, and program cycle.

The Google Certifications Program

The program offers Google IT Support Professional Certificate, Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Google Project Management Professional Certificate, Google UX Design Professional Certificate, and Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate. Each certification includes 3-5 courses and is being offered to selected candidates for FREE. The participants will have access to a range of resources, including Coursera courses, online guidance, networking and linkage opportunities, mentoring and support from industry experts and top freelancers, and support in navigating to freelancing portals with expertise.

Within this broader program, the Google Certifications project aims to provide scholarships for Google Certificates to selected students (and in some cases other aspiring professionals/unemployed people) particularly girls, with some background in the relevant field, and eventually link with the next-step opportunities to drive their own employability and sharpen their ability to secure jobs and freelance work from global online platforms. This component of the program is primarily open to students from 5 universities and FDE’s post-graduate institutes in ICT and Rawalpindi. Some slots are also available for students from other universities/institutes, as well as for professionals or unemployed aspiring persons who intend to take on online work and need learning and Certification support. 

At this stage, the enrolled students would be able to access a wide range of courses on Coursera, along with all necessary support, and eventually a Certification option in selected subject areas within the next 3-6 months. Areas in which Certifications are available include:

  • Data Analytics 
  • Project Management
  • UX Design
  • Google IT Support 
  • Digital Marketing & E-commerce

Click here for Google Certifications Course Details

The details of each Certificate, and accompanying courses and contents, are given at the end of this document. 

(At a later stage, additional certifications in Business intelligence, Advance Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity will also be added by Google. However, current preferences and enrollments will be based on above mentioned areas.)

Ongoing learning & mentoring guidance and regular intensive tracking support would be extended to participants. Therefore, only seriously committed students/aspirants should apply.

At later stages, it is expected that on-track participants would be provided with additional support: including freelancing workshops, networking opportunities, mentoring from industry professionals and freelancing experts, and other ancillary support. This integration would aim to enable participants to become proficient in developing their online freelancing profiles, build their skills for local and international job markets, and be able to engage clients; eventually leading to their earnings in foreign currencies. 

The next step opportunities have the potential to take students to the next level and generate their own employment and income. Freelancing bootcamps and mentoring would enable them to understand market trends and learn skills to secure paid assignments and work, especially through using international freelancing portals and clients.

Eligibility Criteria:

The scholarships are available for aspirants who are 18+ years old, committed to pursuing available courses in any given Certification and completing the certification. The primary target audience is the FINAL YEAR of any degree program, and having a decent level of background in the field of their desired Certification. In a few cases, other candidates can be considered. The total number of scholarships is 500 in total.

The scholarships are available to aspirants who are 18+ years old, committed to pursuing available courses in any given Certification and completing the certification. Aspirants interested in pursuing online work and earning a decent income are welcome to apply. 

  • The primary target audience is the FINAL YEAR of any degree program, and having a decent level of background in the field of their desired Certification. Some institutions are partner institutions of the Ministry under this program, and their students would be given preference. These institutions, in order of their preference, are:
    • National Skills University, Islamabad
    • Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad
    • All post-graduate colleges under the Federal Directorate of Education, Islamabad
    • Fatima Jinnah Women University, Islamabad
    • International Islamic University, Islamabad
    • National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad 
    • (Limited slots for students from) FAST/NU, Islamabad
  • Students, particularly those who are in their Final Year of the degree, enrolled in other institutions are also welcome to apply.
  • Also, professionals, and (currently) unemployed people are also eligible to apply.

A high commitment level to complete the course, secure one Certification, and use the Certification for employability and online freelance work is the key here, in ALL categories.

Note on Initial Focus on a Single Certification 

Technically speaking, an enrolled participant would have access to all Certifications. However, our utmost focus is that a participant must focus, at least initially, on ONE certification only. A second preference can be given for those who are more keen and feel that they can do 2 completions in the desired time or initial 3 months.

After 3 months, participants can request for access and pursue additional certification. This will be provided based on performance in the ongoing Certification.

Application Process and Program Cycle

A Sign-Up/Show-of-Interest FORM will be sent out to students (and a link on the Ministry’s website would also be uploaded) will be filled out by students which will seek their basic profile, and other related questions, as well as two-three small statements (100-200 words). 

For partner institute students, your institutions’ focal persons will do the initial screening. Those and all other screenings will be eventually done by a program team. 

Initially screened students are likely required to go through a small Test/Assessment, which will focus briefly on your Verbal/Quant skills, as well as require 2 small statements related to online work.

After this, the selected participants would receive an invitation email to join the program, and they can commence their Certification program right away.

The initial deadline for the Accelerated track of the first batch of enrollments is Friday, May 05, 2023. Soon after, the online/virtual Test would be conducted for screened students. The test would be sent out through a link. The final selection would be made within the next 1-2 days and the final shortlisted students would be added through the Ministry’s Admin Portal. The automatic link sent to registered email IDs would be activated by the respective participants and they would be considered on-board. We expect to swiftly complete this process, in the Accelerated phase, by May 08, 2023.

  • More than half the slots will be filled during this cycle.

The next batch of applications would continue in the coming 3 weeks.

Note on Initial Focus on a Single Certification 

Technically speaking, an enrolled participant would have access to all Certifications. However, our utmost focus is that a participant must focus, at least initially, on ONE certification only. A second preference can be given to those who are keener and feel that they can do 2 completions in the desired time or initial 3 months.

After 3 months, participants can request access and pursue additional certification. This will be provided based on performance in the ongoing Certification.

Ongoing Support in Future:

Ongoing learning & mentoring guidance and regular intensive tracking support would be extended to participants. Therefore, only seriously committed students/aspirants should apply. At later stages, it is expected that on-track participants would be provided with additional support, including freelancing workshops, networking opportunities, mentoring from industry professionals and freelancing experts, and other ancillary support. This integration would aim to enable participants to become proficient in developing their online freelancing profiles, build their skills for local and international job markets, and be able to engage clients, eventually leading to their earnings in foreign currencies.

The next step opportunities have the potential to take students to the next level and generate their own employment and income. Freelancing bootcamps and mentoring would enable them to understand market trends and learn skills to secure paid assignments and work, especially through using international freelancing portals and clients.

Quality Assurance and Focused Tracking:

The program is committed to ensuring that students receive high-quality training and support. Their progression in the courses will be tracked, and all are expected to continue their learning and certification at a reasonable pace. This will ensure that they are provided incentives and are kept in the next stream of supporting ancillary components in this and other projects. 

Why Students Would Benefit/ Future Support:

The certification courses are developed by Google and are recognized globally as a mark of excellence in the tech industry. Additionally, students will receive mentoring and support from industry experts and will have access to a range of resources, including Coursera courses and freelancing bootcamps. The program will also be monitored closely to ensure that students are making progress and receiving the support they need to succeed.

The integrated program is aimed at students who are interested in pursuing a career in the tech industry, particularly in areas such as IT support, data analytics, project management, UX design, and digital marketing. By completing the certification courses and receiving additional support and training, students will be better equipped to pursue online work and earn a decent income. The program is particularly relevant in the current global context, where remote work and online freelancing have become increasingly popular.

Additional Information:

For any special and urgent queries, contact: mofept.googlecertifications@gmail.com.

(Note: Please understand that we are experiencing a rush at this moment, and may not be readily responding to all emails.)

The in-charge for this program at the Ministry FE&PT is Mr Zulfiqar Ali Shaikh, Assistant Education Advisor. Institutions’ focal persons can reach him at zulfiqar.shaikh@gmail.com.