Pakistan has become the top country with the highest traffic on Fiverr in terms of numbers and the second top country with sellers on Fiverr, following the US. It is also the fourth-ranked country on the list of top freelancing countries in the world. According to official data released by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT), remittance inflows in the financial year stood at $397.328 million, reflecting a modest growth of 2.74% year-on-year. The contribution of freelancers accounted for 14.77% of the total information and communication technologies (ICT) export remittances of $2.616 billion recorded by the country during FY22.
Pakistani youth are interested in freelancing because 65% of the population is under the age of 35, and this large number of youths requires numerous jobs and resources. Since Pakistan cannot provide decent jobs for all its youth, many are turning to freelancing. Additionally, with the exchange rate of one dollar crossing Rs. 300 in Pakistan, freelancers who are paid in dollars receive a significant reward when they convert their earnings into rupees. Freelancing is an extremely convenient and respectable service, and it is crucial for Pakistan to develop a pool of freelancers. Female students, in particular, should be encouraged to start freelancing and achieve economic independence.
Freelancing offers a wide range of opportunities for students in Pakistan, encompassing various fields such as data entry, web designing, graphic designing, content writing, marketing, SEO, SEM, product hunting, Amazon, virtual assistant tasks, gaming, AI, robotics, data science, and more. The availability of diverse projects allows students to explore their interests and skills while earning income and gaining practical experience.
However, there are several factors that need to be addressed:
1. Lack of Awareness: Many aspiring freelancers may not be fully aware of the potential and benefits of freelancing platforms.
2. Limited Access to Technology: Access to reliable internet connections, computers, or smartphones may be a challenge for some individuals in certain regions.
3. Skill and Educational Gaps: While freelancing platforms offer diverse opportunities, certain skills are in higher demand. Some youth in Pakistan may lack the specific skills required to compete effectively on these platforms.
4. Language Barriers: Language fluency, particularly in English, is important for gaining access to a wider range of clients and tasks on freelancing platforms.
5. Trust and Payment Issues: Trust is essential in freelance partnerships, particularly when dealing with clients from around the world.
Addressing these challenges requires collective efforts from various stakeholders:
1. Government Initiatives: Governments can play an important role in increasing freelancing opportunities by sponsoring training programs to improve skills, developing infrastructure, and facilitating access to technology and reliable internet connections.
2. Education Sector: Schools, colleges, and universities can include freelancing and entrepreneurship classes in their curricula to provide students with the necessary skills and information.
3. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): NGOs can assist adolescents interested in freelancing by providing training programs, mentorship, and resources.
4. Collaboration in the Private Sector: Collaboration between freelancing platforms, private enterprises, and industry experts can provide ambitious freelancers with assistance, mentorship, and resources.
By addressing these barriers and fostering an ecosystem that supports freelancers, Pakistan can enhance the participation of its youth on freelancing platforms and further unlock the potential of this emerging sector.
There are numerous advantages to freelancing, and Pakistan can greatly benefit from freelancers:
1.Job Opportunities: Freelancing provides individuals with the opportunity to create their own jobs.
2.Flexibility: Freelancing offers flexibility in terms of working hours, location, and project choices.
3.Skill Development: Engaging in freelancing often requires individuals to continuously upgrade their skills to remain competitive.
4.Economic Growth: Freelancing has the potential to contribute to the economic growth of third-world countries.
5.Entrepreneurship: Freelancing can serve as a stepping stone to entrepreneurship and techno-preneurship, as freelancers gain experience and may develop their own businesses, creating job opportunities for others in their communities.
6.Access to Global Clients: Through online platforms, freelancers can connect with clients from around the world.
7.Poverty Alleviation: Freelancing has the potential to alleviate poverty by providing individuals with a means to earn income and improve their standard of living.
To address these challenges, governments, organizations, and individuals should work together to create an environment that supports and protects freelancers. This can be achieved through initiatives such as raising awareness about freelancing opportunities, providing training programs to enhance skills, improving infrastructure, facilitating access to technology and reliable internet connections, incorporating freelancing and entrepreneurship courses into educational curricula, offering training programs, mentorship, and resources to aspiring freelancers, and collaborating between freelancing platforms, private companies, and industry experts to provide guidance, mentorship, and resources to freelancers
Disclaimer
Please note that all opinions, views, statements, and facts conveyed in the article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Business School (CARBS). CARBS assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content. When interpreting and applying the information provided in the article, readers are advised to use their own discretion and judgement.
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