Women’s Enrollment Surges in Gujarat’s ITIs: A 24% Increase in Women-Only Institutes in 2023

Gandhinagar: There has been a huge increase in enrollment of learners in the Women Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in 2023 in Gujarat.

According to the data provided by the Directorate of Employment and Training (DET) Gujarat, there has been a 24 percent increase in enrollments in 2023 where as many as 5049 women have enrolled in 19 women ITIs. This is a sharp increase compared to 2022 when 4048 women had enrolled in these institutes respectively. While the percentage of women in women ITIs has increased by 24 percent in 2023, the percentage of women enrollments across all 288 government ITIs has increased by 9 percent. This largely includes Co-Ed ITIs.

While the enrollments in these institutes suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have increased again over the past two years with door-to-door campaigns initiated by the DET. Senthil Kumar M.K., Director, Youth Program (Operations), Quest Alliance said that this had indicated women learners’ preference for joining exclusive women ITIs. He said women learners were enrolling in ITIs as they were finding several job and self-employment opportunities after they had completed the course. Another key reason for the improved enrollment and participation of women in ITIs is the influence of alumni.

Highlighting the role of Future Right Skills Network (FRSN) in enhancing the learning environment in ITIs, Mr. Senthil Kumar said, “The implementation of specialized training programs for placement officers within the ITIs has notably enhanced the Institute-Industry relationship, resulting in a consistent improvement in placement rates year after year. Furthermore, we conducted a Principal Leadership Program that has empowered institute leaders to develop a clear vision for their institutions and effectively engage with strategic areas for comprehensive transformation, thereby elevating the overall quality of ITIs.”

All these aspects about the enrollment of women in ITIs, their participation in the workforce, and how ITIs can be made more aspirational and designed for the 21st century, will be discussed at the FRSN ITI Ecosystem Summit in Gandhinagar. Gujarat, as an integral part of the FRSN, a collaborative initiative of Accenture, Cisco, J.P. Morgan, SAP Labs India, and Quest Alliance and supported by the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and various state governments, stands at the forefront of empowering the youth in Government ITIs.

Gargi Jain IAS, Director, DET said she is thrilled to see the remarkable surge in women’s enrollment in Gujarat’s ITIs, indicating a growing interest and recognition of the opportunities available through technical education. “This positive trend underscores the importance of creating inclusive and enabling environments within our educational institutions. The ITI Ecosystem Summit in Gandhinagar will provide a vital platform to further explore strategies for enhancing the ITI ecosystem and empowering our youth for success in the 21st-century economy,” she said.

During the event, principals, placement officers, and employability skill trainers will be felicitated. The objective of the summit is to summarize the successful collaboration between DET Gujarat and FRSN. The event will throw light on the conducive environment provided by the Gujarat government in fostering the ITI ecosystem. Bringing different stakeholders together on a single platform will open up room for dialogue and collaboration to present proposals and learn from each other.

Quest Alliance has been working in 100 ITIs in Gujarat since January 2019, with an initial aim to enhance employability skills through direct facilitation and mentoring of facilitators. This collaboration grew in partnership with DET Gujarat, culminating in a comprehensive approach in 2019.

About the Future Right Skills Network

The Future Right Skills Network is a collaborative effort by Accenture, Cisco, JP Morgan, and SAP Labs India facilitated by Quest Alliance with an overarching mission to make India’s youth future-ready. The network is supported by civil society organizations and state governments in partnership with the Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The Future Right Skills Network is on a mission to empower young people in technical and vocational training institutes with employability skills for the knowledge economy.

 About Quest Alliance

Quest Alliance is a not-for-profit trust that equips young people with 21st-century skills by enabling self-learning. We design scalable solutions that enable educators to address critical gaps for quality education and skills training. We facilitate learning networks and collaboration to bring about systemic change fueled by research and innovation. (https://www.questalliance.net/)