DigiSkills 3.0, Pakistan's largest digital skills initiative, has finally begun its third phase after a year-long wait thanks to the Ignite National Technology Fund.

The program intends to offer 3 million free trainings to young people nationwide over the course of the next three and a half years. On August 1, the first DigiSkills 3.0 batch is expected to begin.

In its next phase, DigiSkills will offer 10 new, in-demand courses in addition to its 15 current courses, which range from SEO, WordPress, and creative writing to freelancing, digital marketing, and graphic design. These consist of mobile app development, UI/UX design, and artificial intelligence.

We have updated every course to meet the evolving demands of global freelance marketplaces.

300,000 Seats Available for Batch 01

With 300,000 seats available on a first-come, first-served basis, enrollment for Batch-01 is currently open. The administration of DigiSkills has cautioned that once the cap is reached, no more places will be available; thus, prospective trainees are being urged to move swiftly.

The Virtual University of Pakistan acted as the executing collaborator for DigiSkills, a program that was first launched by the Ministry of IT and Telecom through Ignite in August 2018.

Together, the first two stages trained more than 4.5 million people. However, there was a lot of criticism directed at the delay in launching Phase 3.0, especially during a May 2025 meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT.

Syed Amin Ul Haque, the committee's chair, criticized the one-year wait, claiming it was a lost chance given the speed at which artificial intelligence is developing. Despite acknowledging the delay, Ignite management insisted that the program needed to be updated.

Why the Hold-Up?

The failure of the Board of Directors, led by the federal IT secretary, to call meetings and the absence of a new CEO at Ignite resulted in a protracted period of inaction before the launch.

Only last month did the board finally convene and approve DigiSkills 3.0 and other outstanding initiatives. Ignite executives have said that the pause also gave them a chance to update their curriculum and keep up with the latest developments in technology.