When Priya first enrolled in a vocational training program at her local Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in northern India's Haryana state, the prospect of a career in technology felt like a future that belonged to someone else.

By modernizing ITIs, Cisco and Quest Alliance are helping more learners build a clear path toward economic mobility.

Across India, ITIs serve as the backbone of vocational education, preparing students like Priya - many of them first-generation learners from underserved communities - for careers in manufacturing, services, and other key industries. But decades of resource constraints at some institutes have led to curricula that need updating, limited professional development opportunities for teachers, and gaps in industry connections.

Oftentimes, these institutions struggle to connect students with modern career opportunities - a risk that could widen the gap between what students are learning and what employers are looking for.

Cisco's partnership with Quest Alliance, an India-based nonprofit committed to designing solutions that help educators deliver quality skills training, emerged as a direct response to this challenge. One of many nonprofit partners that helped Cisco positively impact 50 million lives in India, Quest Alliance has worked alongside Cisco since 2016. Together, we're working to drive systemic change across the ITI ecosystem by not only uplifting individual students but also strengthening the institutions and policies that support them.

Strengthening foundations for the future

In 2019, our collaboration with Quest Alliance expanded with the creation of the Future Right Skills Network (FRSN), a multi-stakeholder collaboration originally co-funded by Accenture that today also includes J.P. Morgan, LinkedIn, and SAP Labs India, working alongside key state and central government bodies. FRSN works to make ITIs future-ready through three strategic approaches:

• Shaping national policy in partnership with the Directorate General of Training
• Building capacity among ITI leaders and trainers
• Integrating tech-fueled career development tools like Quest's MyQuest online platform to extend learning beyond the classroom.

This systems-focused approach was designed to amplify impact. Rather than working with individual students one by one, FRSN focuses on strengthening the institutions and systems that reach students in large numbers, while also working to influence the policies that govern them. Since its founding, the network has supported 2,471 ITIs and reached over 851,000 students. More than 300,000 of those students have benefited directly from Cisco's support.

Cisco's partnership with Quest Alliance brings career-ready resources directly into the hands of ITI students.

The results point to real impact on economic mobility. ITI students with access to digital devices saw their earning opportunities increase by 2.6 times, while those engaging with digital learning platforms experienced a 1.4x improvement in earning potential. In just one year in Haryana, employability skills training contributed to a 50 percent increase in student transitions to jobs aligned with that training.

For students like Priya, these numbers translate into something concrete: a foothold in an economy that had previously felt out of reach. "Before this program, I didn't think I would ever work in technology," she says. "But the training I received in employability skills and AI opened doors I didn't know existed. Today, I'm earning for myself while inspiring others in my community to dream big."

That individual progress is mirrored at the institutional level. "FRSN has been a valuable partner in advancing our vision for a strong, industry-aligned skilling ecosystem," says Ms. Trishaljit Sethi, former Director General of Training at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. "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."

Systemic change for scaled impact

Beyond direct program delivery, the partnership has worked to embed future-ready skills into India's national policy frameworks, helping ensure that the progress made in individual ITIs can take hold across the broader system. FRSN developed a trainer strategy paper for the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship that informed updates to the National Skills Policy and helps ensure that ITI trainers receive the professional development and institutional support they need to deliver quality instruction.

Cisco has also supported the development of an "AI for All" curriculum, integrating AI concepts into mainstream ITI programs to equip students with foundational, future-ready AI literacy skills.

By investing in the people and the policies that power India's vocational schools, Cisco and Quest Alliance are helping to strengthen the systems that support students' aspirations and build a future-ready workforce - one where students like Priya aren't just spectators of the digital economy, but active participants.