Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce a major investment in apprenticeships on Monday in an effort to tackle rising youth unemployment.

Some 50,000 young people are expected to benefit from the £725 million investment, in which more apprenticeships will be created in sectors including AI, hospitality and engineering.

The Government is aiming to reverse a decline in the number of young people starting apprenticeships, which has fallen by almost 40% in the past decade.

The Prime Minister has also expressed his desire to see apprenticeships treated with the same respect as degree courses.

At this year’s Labour party conference, he said he wanted to see two-thirds of young people study for a degree or an apprenticeship.

Sir Keir said: “For too long, success has been measured by how many young people go to university. That narrow view has held back opportunity and created barriers we need to break.

“If you choose an apprenticeship, you should have the same respect and opportunity as everyone else.”

Sir Keir will mark the announcement with a visit to McLaren’s technology centre near Woking, in Surrey on Monday, where he will meet apprentices and other young people at the start of their careers.

McLaren, whose driver Lando Norris won the Formula 1 championship on Sunday, employs 84 people in its early careers scheme and is developing apprenticeships in a range of areas to increase that number.

The funding, which covers the next three years, includes a commitment to fully fund apprenticeships at small and medium-sized businesses.

It also includes £140 million for regional mayors to link young people not in employment, education or training (Neet) with local apprenticeships.

Ministers have been especially concerned with the rising number of young people classed as Neets, which experts suggest is on course to exceed one million for the first time since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

On Sunday, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden announced an £820 million investment in tackling the Neet problem, including more training and guaranteed jobs for long-term out-of-work young people.

He said: “This funding is a downpayment on young people’s futures and the future of the country, creating real pathways into good jobs and providing work experience, skills training and guaranteed employment.”

The Government is also expected to set out its national youth strategy this week.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Mr McFadden said young people had “not had a good enough deal” in areas such as housing and employment.

He said: “Young people do need a better deal. They need a Government that believes in them.”

The global economy is undergoing a seismic technological shift. Robotics, automation, and AI are no longer futuristic ideas, they are now mainstream drivers of productivity, competitiveness, and innovation.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the industries worldwide deployed over 553,000 new industrial robots in 2023, marking a historic peak in automation demand. Meanwhile, global AI investment is projected to exceed $300 billion by 2026, as estimated by the International Data Corporation (IDC). The world is accelerating rapidly, but Pakistan risks being left behind unless decisive and strategic action is taken.

Pakistan’s current standing in global technological competitiveness reflects this urgent need. The World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Global Innovation Index 2024 ranked Pakistan 88 out of 132 countries, trailing significantly behind regional peers such as India (40), China (12), and even Iran (62).

Although Pakistan has a young and rapidly growing digital population, its innovation input including research spending, patenting, STEM education quality, and industrial automation remains limited.

One of the clearest indicators of Pakistan’s lag is its extremely low adoption of industrial robotics. While China deployed more than 290,000 robots in 2023, India installed over 4,000, and Southeast Asian economies like Vietnam and Thailand each installed several thousand per year, Pakistan’s installations remain negligible estimated in the low hundreds, primarily within automotive assembly and select textile units. This places Pakistan far below global benchmarks for robotics penetration per 10,000 manufacturing workers, a critical indicator used by the IFR.

AI development, too, is growing slowly despite considerable potential. Estimates suggest Pakistan’s AI industry is currently valued at around $100-120 million, a fraction of India’s AI ecosystem, which already exceeds $7.8 billion in valuation.

Global tech corporations and venture investors have poured tens of billions of dollars into the research and deployment of AI models, automation platforms, and robotics labs. Pakistan, however, lacks a cohesive national AI strategy, consistent funding pipelines, or large-scale industrial automation programmes that could unlock similar growth.

Pakistan has strong foundations that can be leveraged. The country produces more than 35,000 IT and engineering graduates annually, according to the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Freelancers and digital workers generate over $400 million in annual export earnings, reflecting global demand for Pakistani technical talent. Moreover, private-sector initiatives from robotics startups in Karachi and Lahore to automation efforts in large industrial groups demonstrate that capacity exists when given the right incentives and resources.

Pakistan must pivot from scattered initiatives to a coordinated national strategy. Three priority areas stand out. First, the country must invest in industrial automation at scale. The manufacturing sector, which accounts for nearly 12-13% of GDP, suffers from low productivity, energy inefficiencies, and technology gaps.

Robotics adoption in textiles, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and logistics can significantly increase competitiveness in export markets. Government-backed tax incentives for robotics equipment, low-interest automation loans, and partnerships with countries like China, South Korea, and Japan could accelerate industrial modernisation.

Second, research and development (R&D) must be strengthened. Pakistan’s gross expenditure on R&D stands at less than 0.3% of GDP, far below the global average of 2.3%, and dramatically lower than innovation leaders like South Korea (4.9%) or China (2.4%).

Without substantial investment in university labs, applied AI research centres, and industry-academia partnerships, Pakistan cannot produce the intellectual property or advanced technical solutions required for robotics and AI advancement. Establishing National Robotics Centres, funded jointly by the government and private industry, would be a game-changing step.

Third, talent development and regulation should be prioritised. Pakistan urgently needs specialised curricula in AI engineering, machine learning, robotics design, control systems, and industrial automation. Short courses and certifications are not enough. Universities should embed practical robotics labs and co-op industry training into degree programmes.

Simultaneously, Pakistan must design a forward-looking regulatory framework for AI ethics, data governance, cybersecurity, and safe deployment. Without clear guardrails, industries will hesitate to invest.

The government’s recent efforts such as the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) targeting technology investment, and the Ministry of IT’s proposed National AI Strategy indicate growing recognition of the need for reform. But policy action has been slow, funding remains thin, and coordination across ministries is limited. If Pakistan wants to harness global shifts in automation and AI, it must treat technology as a central pillar of economic policy, not a peripheral sector.

The World Economic Forum estimates that AI and automation could generate $15.7 trillion in global economic value by 2030. Countries that integrate robotics into manufacturing and AI into services will gain a decisive productivity advantage.

Pakistan’s export industries, already struggling with high input costs and low efficiency, risk losing global market share if they fail to modernise. Conversely, with the right policies, Pakistan could unlock a new wave of technology-driven growth, create high-value jobs, and transform its industrial base.

The “robotics and AI race” is not about machines replacing people; it is about countries equipping their people with the tools needed to compete in a world powered by automation. Pakistan has the youth, the talent, and the strategic geographic position to participate meaningfully in this global transformation. What it lacks is coordinated investment, regulatory clarity, and long-term technological vision.

The message for Pakistan’s policymakers and business leaders is clear: the world is not waiting. Robotics and AI are reshaping global trade, industry, and innovation at unprecedented speed. Pakistan must act now decisively and strategically or risk being left on the sidelines of the new digital economy.

The writer is a member of PEC and has a masters in Engineering

New Delhi: The Income Tax Department has issued a fact-check to alert citizens against fake e-mails asking people to download e-PAN card, an official said on Sunday. The fact-check, issued with the help of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), said, “Beware of Fake Emails asking to download e-PAN cards.”

The PIB also circulated a screenshot of showing the phishing e-mail which offered “A step-by-step guide” to download e-PAN card online. The Income Tax Department clarified that it does not request detailed personal information through e-mail.

“Do no respond to any emails, links, calls and SMS asking you to share financial and sensitive information,” the department said. The Income Tax Department added it does not send e-mail requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts, a statement said.

The Department, in an advisory, said that if people receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be the authorised by Income Tax Department or directing you to an Income Tax website then do not reply and do not open any attachments.

“Attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer,” it added. The advisory said, “Do not click on any links. If you click on links in a suspicious e-mail or phishing website then do not enter confidential information like bank account, credit card details.”

It also cautioned citizens against cutting and pasting the link from the message into their browsers as the phishers can make the link look like real, but it may actually send you to different websites.

The Department also said, “Use anti-virus software, anti-spyware, and a firewall and keep them updated. Some phishing e-mails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the internet without your knowledge. Anti-virus and Anti-spyware software and firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files.”

Encouraging tax-payers to report phishing mails, the I-T Department said, “If you receive a phishing mail not pertaining to the Income Tax Department, forward the same to incident@cert-in.org.in.”

“If you receive an e-mail or find a website you think is pretending to be of Income Tax Department, forward the e-mail or website URL to webmanager@incometax.gov.in​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. A copy may also be forwarded to incident@cert-in.org.in,” it added.

You may forward the message as received or provide the Internet header of the e-mail, the advisory said. The Internet header has additional information to help us locate the sender. After you forward the e-mail or header information to us, delete the message, the advisory added.