CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The Future Right Skills Network (FRSN) celebrated five years of driving systemic change in India’s skilling ecosystem, marking a milestone in collaborative action that has shaped policy, transformed Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and built a future-ready workforce.
Since its inception in 2019, FRSN has emerged as a unique coalition where funding partners (Accenture, Cisco, JPMorganChase, and SAP Labs India) converged to drive a shared vision for systemic change. This collective commitment enabled FRSN to establish strong partnerships with the Directorate General of Training (DGT) and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) from the very beginning. By bringing together government, civil society organizations (CSOs), and industry leaders, FRSN has worked to bridge critical gaps in the skilling landscape.
As the national conversation around demand-driven skilling gains momentum, this five-year journey reflects how strategic partnerships, driven by the ministry support at both central and state levels, have led to tangible shifts in policy and practice. FRSN’s efforts align with the government’s ambitious initiatives to upgrade ITIs and enhance vocational training. The focus will be on deepening industry engagement to align ITIs with real-world job market demands, elevating trainer development as a cornerstone of skilling, and ensuring policy implementation leads to lasting change.
FRSN’s Unique Approach: Collaboration for Systemic Change
FRSN has played a critical role in building a unique ecosystem where policymakers and industry stakeholders collaborate to shape the future of skills development. This approach has enabled a journey towards making it more demand-driven, integrating industry voices to shape curricula and hiring pathways. It has transformed trainer development, equipping educators with future skills to prepare ITI students for evolving job markets. It has also shaped policy, ensuring that government skilling initiatives are rooted in real-world needs and challenges.
Ms. Trishaljit Sethi, Director General of Training, emphasized the importance of such partnerships in reshaping India’s skilling landscape: “FRSN has been a valuable partner in advancing our vision for a strong, industry-aligned skilling ecosystem. By working closely with state governments, industry leaders, and training institutions, it has helped ensure that ITIs are not just training centers, but true enablers of employment. As we move forward with our vision to make skilling institutions particularly the ITIs more robust and aspirational, such collaborations will be crucial in making skilling more impactful for youth across India.”
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