Kathmandu, November 2
More than 42,000 young people applied for free online artificial intelligence (AI) training within 24 hours of applications opening, prompting technical problems that temporarily blocked access to the application form, the National Vocational Training Academy has said.
The academy, which operates under the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment, said applicants’ details had been safely stored and would be used only for training purposes. Those who have already submitted their applications successfully do not need to apply again.
A new application form will be made available on the academy’s official website on Monday, November 2, it said, urging interested applicants to submit their forms promptly. Selected participants will be notified by SMS.
The academy had opened applications for the free online training programme titled ‘Effective Use of AI and Prompt Writing’, aimed at equipping young people with practical skills in artificial intelligence.
The training will be held on November 4 and 5 (Kartik 18 and 19), with four separate sessions scheduled from 10 am to noon and 6 pm to 8 pm on each day. Each participant will be assigned to one of the four sessions. The academy plans to train 2,000 people, with 500 participants in each session.
The course will cover the effective use of AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, writing clear and useful prompts, and using AI to prepare emails, notes, meeting minutes and presentations.
Participants will also learn how to create images and short videos using AI, use the technology responsibly and verify the accuracy of information generated by AI tools.
The programme aims to equip young people with skills to use AI effectively in their studies, employment and professional activities.
The ministry said conducting live training online was a new approach for it. Lessons from the programme are expected to help improve the reach and effectiveness of future online and other skills-based training initiatives targeting larger numbers of young people.
Youth, Labour and Employment Minister Ramji Yadav said knowledge and skills related to AI should not remain limited to a small group of people.
“With technological development, the opportunities it creates should be accessible to young people across the country. This free online training has therefore been designed to provide basic knowledge and practical skills in AI,” he said.
Yadav said the government aims to organise more advanced training programmes, both online and in person, to help large numbers of young people across the country become proficient in AI.
Following the unexpectedly high number of applications, the academy said it was committed to continuing similar training programmes through its official system in the future.
