Pakistan relaunches DigiSkills 3.0 to offer 3 million free online trainings in digital skills

After months of delay, the DigiSkills 3.0 program has finally been relaunched by Ignite, under the Ministry of IT and Telecom. The ambitious project aims to train 3 million individuals across Pakistan over the next three and a half years, providing them with free online courses in various high-demand digital fields.

The first batch begins August 1, with 300,000 seats available. Enrollment is open now and will close once seats are filled. Officials have emphasized that no extra seats will be added after the limit is reached.

Participants can choose from a mix of 15 updated existing courses and 10 newly introduced ones. Existing popular courses like Freelancing, SEO, Graphic Design, and Digital Marketing have all been enhanced to meet evolving international market needs.

The new courses, designed to keep pace with global digital trends, include:

• Artificial Intelligence

• UI/UX Design

• Mobile App Development

• And other in-demand fields

The program is being delivered by the Virtual University of Pakistan, which has also been the implementing partner in previous phases.

Originally launched in 2018, DigiSkills has trained over 4.5 million people in its first two phases. However, the delay in launching its third phase triggered concern from experts and parliamentarians. A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT in May 2025 called the one-year delay a serious oversight, particularly as AI and digital demand continue to surge.

Ignite officials blamed the delay on the absence of leadership and board meetings, but clarified that the time was used to upgrade course content and prepare for next-generation tech skill needs.