Free government computer courses. Which ones are open today?
DigiSkills, NAVTTC, PSDF, e-Rozgaar and TEVTA, checked one by one on their own websites. Written by a paid institute in Lahore, which is exactly why every line below names its source.
In short
The free government courses are real and most of them are good. On 5 October 2026, not one of the big four was taking applications. DigiSkills filled its last batch before 23 July, and Batch-05 enrolment opened on 2 November 2026, with classes from 1 December. NAVTTC closed on 15 July. PSDF says temporarily closed. TEVTA closed in April. And one thing most articles still get wrong: e-Rozgaar now charges a fee. If you can wait, register on the portals below and wait. That's the honest advice, even from us.
Each status was read on the programme’s own site. Page updated 2 November 2026.
The five government programmes, one by one
Who runs it, what it costs, who can join, and the one catch nobody puts in the headline.
Batch-05 enrolment OPEN now (from 2 Nov 2026)
DigiSkills.pk
Ministry of IT and Telecom, funded by Ignite, run by Virtual University. Free, fully online, 24 courses, e-certificate from VU. Batch-04 seats were full by 23 July 2026 and classes began on 3 August. Batch-05 enrolment opened on 2 November 2026 at 1 PM with 300,000 seats, and classes start on 1 December 2026. You register on digiskills.pk, complete your LMS profile, then pick two courses and press Save. The catch: seats go first come first served and the last batch filled before its start date, so enrol now rather than later. We wrote a longer piece on whether the DigiSkills certificate is worth it.
Closed 15 July 2026
NAVTTC Skills of Tomorrow
Federal government, under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. Free, 3 to 6 months, online and onsite. Ages 18 to 35, matric or above, CNIC, and full-time availability, with 30 percent of seats for women. Trades include AI for Everyone, Shopify, Power BI, digital marketing and SEO, Upwork freelancing and graphic design. The catch: it wants your full time, which rules out most people with a job.
Temporarily closed
PSDF Advance Tech
Punjab Skills Development Fund, set up by the Government of Punjab. About 3 months, 2 to 3 hours a day, blended. Tracks like AI, data science, cloud and MERN. The only programme here with a confirmed stipend: Rs 5,000 a month at 80 percent attendance and a 50 percent score. The catch: 14 years of education and a Punjab domicile, and 90 percent of seats go to women. Helpline 0800-48627.
Closed 24 April 2026
TEVTA CM Hunarmand IT courses
Free 3 month evening courses funded by the Punjab government: database, data analytics, cloud, UI/UX, Meta digital marketing, JavaScript, AI and cyber security, with Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or Meta certificates. The catch: you need DAE, CIT, ICS, or inter with a computer certificate, and you sit an aptitude test. Admissions run through portal.tevta.gop.pk.
Open, but no longer free
e-Rozgaar 2.0
Punjab IT Board, headquartered at Arfa Software Technology Park, Lahore. Courses of 50 to 100 hours in web development, SEO, UI/UX, Shopify, content and freelancing, online or in person, with a PITB certificate. Their own FAQ: “A fee will be charged for the training course selected by the candidate.” The fee varies by course and centre. If a blog tells you e-Rozgaar is free for unemployed graduates, it's describing the old programme.
Free, but not government
Saylani Mass IT Training
Run by Saylani Welfare Trust. Most courses are free, 3 to 8 months, on campus, with an entry test. Nearly all its campuses are outside Lahore, so check the travel before you apply.
Bano Qabil
Run by the Alkhidmat Foundation. Free 4 month courses at 182 centres, 49 of them in Punjab, entry by online test. Its head office is in Lahore, but its site doesn't list a Lahore centre, so ask first.
Be careful with lookalikes
The “Hunarmand Punjab Scholarship Card” site was called an independent initiative by Pakistan Observer in August 2026, and its first reward is a fee refund, so you pay first. A real government scheme never asks you for a registration fee.
What to do this week
If you can wait, wait
Make your account today on digiskills.pk, nsis.navttc.gov.pk, psdf.org.pk and portal.tevta.gop.pk, and keep your CNIC and result cards scanned. The people who get the seats are the ones who were already logged in when the window opened. Money is tight? Then don't let anybody, including us, talk you out of a free seat.
If you can't wait
A paid batch at InnoTech starts this month, costs Rs 6,500 a month for most courses, has no entry test and no education condition, and caps a batch at 10. Every fee is on our fees page. If you're not sure which way to go, ask us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you honestly if a free option suits you better.
Free government courses, answered
Which government free computer courses are open right now?
On 5 October 2026, none of the four big ones were taking applications. DigiSkills Batch-04 filled before 23 July 2026. DigiSkills opened Batch-05 enrolment on 2 November 2026 at 1 PM: 300,000 seats, first come first served, and classes start on 1 December 2026. NAVTTC's Skills of Tomorrow programme closed on 15 July 2026. PSDF's Advance Tech page says applications are temporarily closed. TEVTA's CM Hunarmand IT evening courses closed on 24 April 2026. The other three say a next intake is coming but give no date.
Is NAVTTC government or private?
Government. NAVTTC, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, is a federal body under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. Its Skills of Tomorrow courses are free. It isn't a scam, but check that you're on navttc.gov.pk and not a page that copies its name.
Is NAVTTC free?
Yes. The Skills of Tomorrow programme is listed as 100 percent free, for ages 18 to 35 with matric or above and a CNIC, running 3 to 6 months online and onsite, with 30 percent of seats kept for women. You apply through the NSIS portal when an intake opens. The last one closed on 15 July 2026.
Is e-Rozgaar free?
Not any more. The PITB e-Rozgaar FAQ, read on 5 October 2026, says a fee will be charged for the training course and that it varies by course, centre and training hours. The older free e-Rozgaar for unemployed graduates is what most articles online still describe. Courses now run 50 to 100 hours, online or in person.
Does PSDF give a stipend?
For its Advance Tech programme, yes: Rs 5,000 a month if you keep 80 percent attendance and score 50 percent or more, and Rs 2,500 a month with 80 percent attendance and a lower score. Below 80 percent attendance there's no stipend. You need 14 years of education and a Punjab domicile, and 90 percent of seats go to women. Ignore the Rs 7,000 figure on some blogs, PSDF's own page doesn't say it.
Are there government free computer courses for ladies in Pakistan?
Yes, and two of them lean heavily toward women. PSDF Advance Tech keeps 90 percent of its seats for women aged 16 to 40, and NAVTTC keeps 30 percent. DigiSkills is open to anyone and is fully online, so it works from home. The catch for all three is timing, not eligibility.
Is the Hunarmand Punjab Scholarship Card a government scheme?
We couldn't confirm that it is. Pakistan Observer described hunarmandpunjab.org.pk as an independent initiative in August 2026, and its lowest reward is fee reimbursement, which means you pay first. It isn't the same as PSDF's Maryam Nawaz Hunarmand Naujawan programme or TEVTA's CM Hunarmand courses, which are real. Don't pay anyone a registration fee for a government scheme.
Is Saylani or Bano Qabil a government programme?
No. Both are free, but both are run by welfare organisations: Saylani Welfare Trust and the Alkhidmat Foundation. Both use an entry test. Bano Qabil's head office is in Lahore, but its site doesn't name a Lahore centre, so ask them before you plan around it.
What should I do while I wait for an intake?
Register on each portal now so you hear the day it opens: digiskills.pk, nsis.navttc.gov.pk, psdf.org.pk and portal.tevta.gop.pk. DigiSkills seats fill within days, so the people who get in are the ones already watching. If you would rather not wait, a paid batch is the other route, and we explain honestly when that's worth it on our free versus paid page.
Who wrote this
The InnoTech Team
Written and checked by the instructors and admissions counsellors at InnoTech Skills Institute, who teach our live online batches from Jubilee Town, Lahore. We are a paid institute, so every fee, date and rule on this page names its source. Spotted something out of date? Message us on WhatsApp +92 371 0160 513.