Revitalizing India’s Apprenticeship Ecosystem

The NITI Aayog has proposed a significant reform of India’s apprenticeship ecosystem to enhance industry participation, improve governance, and offer better support to apprentices. The report, titled ‘Revitalizing India’s Apprenticeship Ecosystem: Insights, Challenges, Recommendations and Best Practices’, identifies several challenges impacting the effectiveness of apprenticeship initiatives.

Current Schemes and Challenges

• National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS): Launched in 2016, supports apprenticeship training by sharing part of the stipend paid by employers.
• National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS): Provides on-the-job training for graduates and diploma holders with government reimbursing 50% of the stipend cost.

The existing landscape is fragmented, with diverse programmes from various ministries causing confusion for candidates and employers.

Recommendations

• National Apprenticeship Mission (NAM): Proposed to facilitate a unified platform for apprenticeship programmes via the National Apprenticeship Portal (NAP).
• Integration with Education: Emphasized on integrating apprenticeships with education to create seamless pathways for skill and educational mobility.
• Apprenticeship Linked Incentive Scheme (ALIS): Suggested for financial incentives targeting Aspirational Districts, North East States, and women apprentices.
• Revised Eligibility Threshold: Proposed expanding apprenticeship framework to establishments with 20 or more employees.

Challenges Identified

• Engagement Gap: Notable discrepancy between registered apprentices and those who complete training.
• Industry Participation: Medium and large enterprises account for a significant portion of apprenticeship engagement despite being a smaller percentage of active establishments.
• Gender Disparity: Male participants consistently show higher registration and engagement rates.
• Regional Disparities: Suggested the creation of an Apprenticeship Engagement Index (AEI) to inform policy and encourage state competition.

Proposed Structures

• District Skill Committees (DSCs): Proposed to promote apprenticeship within district-specific plans, aligning targets with local demographics and industry needs.