Background

India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Despite this progress, socioeconomic inequalities continue to worsen. A major reason for these contradictions arises out of the fact that a major section of the population, primarily from underserved communities, does not have access to quality education and training opportunities. This is owing to a cluster of factors, such as financial constraints where they cannot afford quality education, lack of proper educational infrastructure, and poor quality of available resources, including unqualified teachers and outdated equipment. 

Thus, despite brimming with talent and potential, these students are excluded from finding employment in a majority of professional settings and are condemned to work in the informal sectors, which are marked by extreme precarity, low wages, and lack of social benefits and legal protections. In fact, according to a 2018 report by the  International Labour Organisation (ILO), out of the Indian population that is employed, 81% of it is in the informal sector. In the absence of proper training, education, and guidance, these students lack the necessary support to be able to pursue the careers they want.

In rural Bihar, lack of access to computers, digital education, and structured career guidance leaves students ill-equipped for the modern world. Despite global advances in AI and tech, students in government and low-income private schools remain cut off—many having never used a computer, let alone imagined a career in technology. First-generation learners face multiple systemic barriers: undertrained teachers, no labs, and minimal exposure to future opportunities. This deepens the divide between potential and possibility. Pathway Plus was created to address these interconnected challenges. By building critical infrastructure (like a 20-computer lab), delivering interactive AI-focused curricula in local languages, and introducing relatable career exploration tools, the program enables students not only to understand technology—but to create with it. By nurturing both skills and self-belief, Pathway Plus helps rural youth shift from digital exclusion to empowered participation in the future of work.

Realizing that comprehensive education, and training in skills are central to enhancing outcomes in employability and livelihood, The Pathway Programme seeks to harness the untapped potential that marks these students. Because choosing a career is not just a professional decision, but is about taking control of one’s life by choosing what one wants to be, it is of utmost importance to ensure that our society is able to maximize the agency of these students by helping them forge careers of their liking. It is precisely in this direction that The Pathway Programme seeks to work towards ensuring that students from underserved communities are not coerced into giving up their aspirations, but are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to pursue them.