AI-driven vocational education in ITIs and its influence on learner confidence and employability readiness in India

Purpose This study examines how AI-supported vocational training influences employability readiness among Industrial Training Institute (ITI) learners in India, with particular attention to learner confidence and industry exposure enabled through AI. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional design was adopted using survey data from 300 ITI learners across five Indian states. Structural equation modeling was employed to test direct and mediated relationships among the constructs. Findings Results indicate that AI-supported training and learner confidence exert significant positive effects on employability readiness. Industry exposure through AI partially mediates these relationships, highlighting the importance of experiential, technology-enabled learning in translating training into work readiness. Originality/value The study advances vocational education research by empirically validating a multi-path mediation framework within the ITI context, offering evidence on how AI-driven exposure and confidence jointly shape employability outcomes in emerging economies.