The Punjab government has announced 50,000 scholarship cards to young Pakistanis under the Hunarmand Punjab Programme.
The government made this major announcement as part of an initiative aimed at expanding access to digital and technical skills.
Applications for the Hunarmand Punjab Advanced IT and Technical Training Programme are open until August 21, 2026.
The programme will provide free training in a range of fields considered important to employment, freelancing and the growing digital economy.
Who can apply?
Pakistani citizens aged 15 to 50 with at least a Matric-level education are eligible to apply, according to the programme details.
Of the 50,000 scholarship cards, 25,000 have been allocated to young people from Punjab, while the remaining 25,000 will be available to applicants from Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.
The initiative is intended to give young people access to market-oriented skills and improve their prospects for employment, entrepreneurship and freelance work.
The programme also offers incentives to students who perform well in the final evaluation test.
Candidates scoring 85% will be eligible for fee reimbursement, while those achieving between 86% and 88% will receive solar panels.
Students scoring 89% to 91% will be awarded Chromebooks, while those obtaining 92% to 94% will receive laptops.
Candidates securing 95% or above will be eligible for an e-bike.
The programme offers courses across more than 30 areas, including artificial intelligence, digital marketing, web development, graphic design, e-commerce, cybersecurity, data science, freelancing, video editing, app development and YouTube monetisation.
Other courses include Amazon Virtual Assistant, Shopify, Daraz business, WordPress, React, Node.js, MERN Stack, PHP Laravel, Python programming, machine learning, SEO and Google Ads.
The programme also includes training in IELTS preparation, textile design, digital embroidery and penetration testing.
The initiative comes as Pakistan seeks to expand its digital economy and equip young people with skills that can be used in both domestic and international markets.
Supporters of skills-based training programmes say improving access to digital education could help young Pakistanis find employment, establish businesses and earn through freelancing and other online platforms.
The government says the Hunarmand Punjab programme is intended to provide young people with practical, market-oriented skills and create greater opportunities for economic participation.
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