The Missing Link in India’s AI Push!
A few weeks ago, I sat in a classroom in Haryana with a group of ITI trainees. During an AI course, the instructor had barely finished introducing the module when a student raised her hand and asked a simple question. “Sir, how is this course related to what we study? Will it help us get jobs?” She was pursuing vocational training at a Rural ITI in Haryana. She wanted to work with machines, gain hands-on experience, and eventually find a job in an industrial setting. She seemed to have a clear idea of her future.The classroom went quiet after her question.The responses that followed reflected the uncertainty around how to answer her question. The first response was predictable: “Everyone is learning this these days.” After a pause, the instructor replied, “This course is mandatory. You must complete it.”
But her question lingered. It wasn’t a complaint or resistance to learning. It was perhaps the sincerest question asked in that classroom all day. More importantly, it was a question many students in colleges, polytechnics, and ITIs are quietly asking today. The instructor wasn’t to blame. He was doing what the system expected of him, teaching the course, completing the syllabus, and ensuring student participation. The greater challenge was that we were introducing a new skill without providing sufficient context for learners to understand its relevance to their careers and future opportunities. This is not a new challenge. India has faced several waves of economic and technological change over the past few decades, driven by the expansion of vocational and digital skills training. ITIs and polytechnics were established to prepare a skilled workforce for a growing manufacturing economy, while later initiatives focused on computer literacy and digital tools such as Tally and Excel.
Yet, across both transitions, the link between training and employment was not always strong. And many students in the top-tier towns are going through this transition. But many others, especially those from smaller towns, first-generation learners, and those without access to professional networks, found that a certificate wasn’t enough to meet the requirements. The skill was valuable, but they also needed career guidance, industry exposure, internships, mentorship, and pathways into employment.The lesson from these changes is not that skilling initiatives were wrong. On the contrary, they responded to a real shift in the economy. The lesson is that skills have the most impact when they are part of a broader system that connects learning to opportunity. Today, India is at another such pivotal moment, with governments, educational institutions, industries, and civil society organisations preparing young people for an AI-driven future.
New courses are being introduced, faculty are being trained, and students are encouraged to explore emerging technologies. Yet the student’s question still stands: How does an AI certificate connect to a job?A student from humanities, commerce, or science may gain useful digital skills through an introductory AI course. Similarly, an ITI student training to be an electrician, fitter, machinist, or technician may struggle to see how AI relates to the work they hope to do.
The challenge isn’t technology itself. The challenge is the context. Students are more likely to engage with new skills when they can see how those skills relate to real problems, workplaces, and opportunities. A certificate becomes meaningful when it is connected to a pathway. This is where educational institutions have a critical role to play. They need to help students understand emerging career opportunities, connect with employers, and build confidence in moving from education to employment. This requires stronger placement systems, industry engagement, faculty development, career guidance, and opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, site visits, project-based learning, and mentorship.
The value of AI, therefore, lies not in the certificate but in its application. For a manufacturing student, this could mean predictive maintenance, automation, or quality control; for students in other disciplines, it could support areas such as data analysis, research, business decisions, or entrepreneurship. The question is not whether students should learn AI or whether governments should invest in AI training. They should. The real question is whether we can build institutions that help students turn that learning into opportunity. The student in that ITI classroom wanted to know whether her time and effort would lead to a better future. That is the question every skilling initiative must ultimately answer. India’s AI journey will be measured not by certificates alone, but by whether young people can use their skills to access better jobs, solve problems, improve productivity, and build careers.
This story is a part of Field Notes, a series where Medha team members share their opinions and experiences from working on the field.