New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Pakistan’s demographic dividend has turned out to be a “demographic dilemma” as a widening skills gap leads to “economic stagnation which feeds social unrest”, a new report has said.

The report from The Express Tribune said the country produced nearly 8 lakh university graduates annually but struggled to access key labour markets such as Japan and South Korea due to mismatches between the skills produced and those demanded by these economies.

The report flagged findings from the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development which warned lack of certified technical skills, language proficiency and internationally recognised qualifications.

“Despite swelling graduate output, many Pakistani degrees fail to translate into employability abroad. Recognition of qualifications remains patchy, and vocational training systems lag behind global standards,” the report said.

Pakistan’s curricula must be revised in consultation with industry and aligned with domestic and international labour demand, while focus should move to technical and vocational training in sectors sought by these countries, the report noted.

“Pakistan must move beyond incremental fixes and undertake structural reform if it is to bridge the widening skills gap. Universities can no longer function in isolation from market realities,” the report noted.

Another recent report has said that Pakistan only spends around 1.9 per cent of GDP on education, well below the internationally recommended 4 to 6 per cent, and about 26.2 million children remain out of school. Curricula offer limited exposure to digital skills, critical thinking and applied learning, leaving the workforce ill‑prepared for technological change.

The report cited surveys saying 64 per cent of graduates face employment difficulties due to skill gaps, while graduate unemployment among youth is estimated at around 31 per cent.

Further, research funding is minimal, higher education is disconnected from industry needs, and teacher quality suffers from inadequate training and limited professional development.

—IANS

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