Bhubaneswar: Women are increasingly choosing trades, traditionally dominated by men, at the state’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), opting for courses ranging from electrician and fitter to solar technology and electric vehicle (EV) mechanics, even as they account for just 14.6% of the total admissions this academic session.Of the 60,146 students admitted to the ITIs across the state, 8,782 are women, including 703 from other states. Despite a small proportion of the overall intake, institute-wise admission data show that they are entering a wider range of technical trades beyond those traditionally associated with women.At some institutes, women continue to dominate courses such as sewing technology and dressmaking. But their presence in electrical, mechanical, digital and emerging technology trades is increasingly visible.The shift is particularly evident in electricians and fitters. The trend is especially visible in Ganjam, a district with a large migrant workforce. Four govt ITIs at Hinjilicut, Chhatrapur, Bhanjanagar and Berhampur have recorded substantial enrolment of women in the two trades aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework.Officials of the skill development and technical education department said Ganjam has the highest number of ITI seats among govt institutions in the state, at 3,452, with women accounting for 884 admissions. Across the four ITIs, electrician and fitter together account for 257 admissions by women.At ITI-Talcher, 21 of the 43 students admitted to the electrician course are women, while they account for 12 of the 42 admissions in fitter course. At ITI-Balasore, women constitute 44 of 115 electrician course admissions and 18 of 62 fitter admissions.The trend is also visible in emerging technology, with girls taking up courses linked to solar technology, EVs, electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT).At ITI-Phulbani in tribal-dominated Kandhamal, 11 of the 40 students admitted to the solar technology trade are women. At ITI-Bhawanipatna, women account for 16 of the 40 admissions in the trade.ITI-Bhubaneswar, meanwhile, is the only govt-run institute in the state offering an IoT-based curriculum, with three specialised trades — IoT technicians (smart agriculture), (smart city) and (smart healthcare). Each trade has 48 seats, with girls accounting for 32 admissions in smart healthcare, 19 in smart city and 16 in smart agriculture.Educationists said the enrolment pattern indicates that female students are increasingly exploring technical skills that could open up a wider range of employment opportunities.“Women are no longer restricting themselves to conventional trades. Their presence in electrical, mechanical and technology-related courses indicates a change in the way they view vocational education and the careers it can lead to,” said educationist L K Panda.The enrolment trend comes against the backdrop of considerable unused capacity in Odisha’s ITI network. The state has 460 govt and privately run ITIs with 75,756 seats, of which 15,610 remained vacant even after the spot-admission round.