Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) have improved their performance in a grading by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, which may be a sign of greater job chances.
Out of the approximately 15,000 ITIs that were rated this year, 18.9% received a score of 8 or higher on a 0–10 scale, compared to 12.4% the previous year—the year that the new yearly data-driven grading process was implemented.
The two institutions with the highest scores are the Government Industrial Training Institute, Barbil (Odisha) and the Government ITI for Girls, Nellore (Andhra Pradesh). According to the most recent round of grading prepared for the academic year 2024–2025, the two have a grade of 9.6.
This comes after the FY25 Budget unveiled a plan to train two million young people over the following five years, upgrading 1,000 ITIs through hub-and-spoke structures that prioritise results.
In contrast to 14,951 ITIs evaluated nationwide last year, 14,999 private and government ITIs were graded nationwide, according to a ministry notification. Due to the fact that the 122 ITIs were new, there was insufficient evidence to assign a grade.
Uttar Pradesh (15) is the state with the most ITIs in the top 25, followed by Odisha (4), Haryana (3), Andhra Pradesh (2), and Telangana (1).
142 ITIs in all were graded 9 or above during the 2024–2025 academic year.
According to the data, 12,700 ITIs in 2024–2025 achieved a grade of 4 or above, allowing them to add cutting-edge courses like drone and solar technician training, 3D printing, and the internet of things.
By contrast, the first yearly grading system was revealed in April of last year, and 11,900 out of 14,951 ITIs were graded 4 or higher.
According to Sumit Kumar, chief strategy officer of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, the ITIs will become more competitive through grading and be able to attain excellence through improvements in their trainers, facilities, and curriculum.
“The foundation of skill in the blue-collar sector is ITIs. Given the attention they are receiving from the government, a grading system of this kind will enable the entire ecosystem to fulfil industrial criteria and worldwide standards, he continued.
With this new grading scheme, a number between 0 and 10 is assigned to eight parameters/information items on the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) portal. For the current academic year, of the eight, entrance (30%) and passing results (30%) have the highest weighting, followed by a computer-based exam (10%) and average scores received (10%).
The previous process included data validation on specific metrics and field visits. Phase 1 began in 2017 and had 43 metrics grouped into 10 major categories. Phase 2, which was introduced in 2019, included 27 factors that were divided into five groups. Thus, the grade was valid until 2022–2023 and ranged from 0 to 5.
According to the announcement, in the next years, instructor availability will be taken into account when determining grading marks.
Additionally, ITIs that receive a grade of 9.5 or higher will be awarded a “Star Rating” in accordance with the accessibility of their placement data, which includes apprenticeship.