What is the e-Rozgar programme?
e-Rozgar is a Punjab government initiative that teaches young people digital skills and how to sell them online as freelancers. It is a project of the Youth Affairs and Sports Department, run by PITB, and it was inaugurated on 28 March 2017. The original idea was simple: unemployed graduates in cities with no tech industry could earn from international clients if someone taught them a marketable skill and the mechanics of freelance platforms.
Unlike DigiSkills, which is online and self-paced, e-Rozgar has always been classroom-based. Trainees attend a centre, work alongside a cohort and have a trainer to ask. For many people that structure is what gets them through the first slow months.
What changed with e-Rozgaar 2.0
In October 2024 PITB launched e-Rozgaar 2.0. Instead of running its own centres inside universities, the programme now works through agreements with public and private colleges and training institutes, which host e-Rozgaar centres and deliver the courses in person. PITB has announced a steady run of these partnerships since then, from The Career Institute (centres in Faisalabad, Lahore, Sargodha, Okara and Sahiwal) to institutes in Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Kasur, Khanewal and Gujrat, and, in January 2026, Jhang.
So the programme has not ended; it has changed shape. Some university pages still describe the older free, three-month model, which is why information online contradicts itself. Treat the official portal at erozgaar.pitb.gov.pk and the centre you plan to join as the only reliable sources for the current batch.
Is e-Rozgar still free?
Not necessarily. The original programme offered three months of free training to shortlisted graduates. Under e-Rozgaar 2.0, PITB describes the courses as affordable, and partner centres can charge a course fee that varies by course and centre. We could not find a single official fee schedule, so ask the centre for the exact fee in writing before you enrol.
e-Rozgar courses
e-Rozgar courses have always been grouped into a few domains, with a freelancing module taught alongside every one of them. The domains have broadened over time:
| Domain | Typical courses | Freelance work it leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | Web development, WordPress, mobile app basics | Websites, landing pages, fixes and maintenance |
| Content marketing | Content writing, digital and social media marketing | Blog posts, product copy, social media management |
| Creative design | Graphic design, UI/UX basics | Logos, social graphics, app and web screens |
| E-commerce | Store setup and management | Shopify and WooCommerce setup, product uploads, store admin |
| Freelancing module | Platform profiles, proposals, client communication | Applies to all of the above |
Not every centre offers every course, and course lengths differ, so check the course list for your nearest centre on the portal. If you are choosing a domain from scratch, pick the one businesses already pay for. Our list of freelance business ideas shows which offers have steady demand.
Who can apply and how
The original programme was for unemployed graduates from Punjab within an age limit, with a valid CNIC. The rules may differ under 2.0, and centres can set their own conditions, so read the criteria on the portal for the batch you are applying to. The general process looks like this:
- 01Create an account on the e-Rozgaar portal (erozgaar.pitb.gov.pk) with your CNIC and a working email address.
- 02Choose a course and a centre near you. Some partner colleges also take applications through their own websites.
- 03Pay the course fee, if the centre charges one, through the official payment method only.
- 04Submit or verify your documents (CNIC, educational certificates) as the centre asks.
- 05Attend classes, finish the freelancing module, and set up your platform profiles before the course ends.
e-Rozgar or DigiSkills: which should you choose?
| e-Rozgar | DigiSkills | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | PITB, Government of Punjab | Federal Ministry of IT and Telecom with the Virtual University |
| Format | In person, at a centre, with a trainer | Online, self-paced |
| Who it suits | People who need a classroom, a mentor and a peer group | People who study well alone, anywhere in Pakistan |
| Cost | Fee set per course and centre under 2.0 | Free |
Many people do both: a DigiSkills course to test whether they like a field, then an e-Rozgar course for the hands-on practice. Our DigiSkills guide covers the courses and how to enrol.
How to turn the training into income
A certificate on its own does not win clients. What does is a small portfolio of real work and a clear offer. On the projects we hire for and the freelancers we work alongside, the people who succeed after a programme like e-Rozgar usually do these things:
- Pick one specific offer ("WordPress landing pages for clinics", not "anything") and say it in the first line of your profile.
- Finish three real projects during the course, even unpaid ones for a local shop or a relative's business, and put them in a portfolio.
- Write proposals that answer the client's actual question in the first two lines.
- Choose platforms that fit your offer. Our comparison of Fiverr alternatives explains who each platform suits.
- Get paid properly: most Pakistani freelancers receive money through Payoneer or a direct bank transfer, and registering with PSEB as a freelancer is worth looking into once you earn regularly.
The market is there. Pakistani freelancers earned a record 1.76 billion dollars in FY2025-26 according to State Bank figures reported in July 2026. Our piece on freelancing and the world economy puts that number in context.
Other freelance training programmes in Pakistan
e-Rozgar is not the only Pakistan freelance training programme. DigiSkills is free and national. NAVTTC, the federal technical training body, runs IT and digital courses through institutes across the country. Many universities also run their own freelancing centres or short courses. Whichever you choose, judge it by what you can build by the end, not by the certificate.
Sources
- Punjab Information Technology Board (pitb.gov.pk): e-Rozgaar 2.0 partnership announcements with training institutes, October 2024 to January 2026.
- Daily Pakistan, 26 October 2024: PITB's e-Rozgaar 2.0 offers in-person digital training for youth.
- e-Rozgaar Program, Wikipedia: inauguration on 28 March 2017; Youth Affairs & Sports Department, Government of Punjab, with PITB.
- Profit by Pakistan Today, 21 July 2026: freelancer earnings of 1.76 billion dollars in FY2025-26, from State Bank of Pakistan data.
Common questions
- Is e-Rozgar still running in 2026?
- Yes. Since October 2024 it has run as e-Rozgaar 2.0, with courses delivered in person through partner colleges and institutes across Punjab. PITB was still announcing new partner centres in 2026.
- Is e-Rozgar free?
- The original programme was free. Under e-Rozgaar 2.0 PITB calls the training affordable, and centres can charge a fee that varies by course and centre. Confirm the exact amount with the centre and pay only through the official method.
- Who is eligible for e-Rozgar?
- The original programme was for unemployed graduates from Punjab within an age limit, with a valid CNIC. Criteria changed under 2.0 and some centres set their own, so check the portal for the batch you are applying to.
- What courses does e-Rozgar offer?
- Courses fall into technical (web development, WordPress, app basics), content marketing (writing, digital and social media marketing), creative design (graphic design, UI/UX) and e-commerce, with a freelancing module across all of them. The list differs by centre.
- How do I apply for e-Rozgar?
- Register on the official portal, erozgaar.pitb.gov.pk, choose a course and a centre, pay any fee through the official channel and verify your documents. Some partner colleges also accept applications on their own websites.
- e-Rozgar or DigiSkills: which should I choose?
- e-Rozgar if you want a classroom, a trainer and a cohort; DigiSkills if you want free, self-paced online study from anywhere in Pakistan. Many people take a DigiSkills course first and then an e-Rozgar course for hands-on practice.
