National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) on 19th August 2016 to
provide financial incentives to the establishments engaging apprentice under the Apprentices Act, 1961.

NAPS-2 is a Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by the Central Government) and is one of the sub-components under the umbrella scheme of „Skill India Programme‟. The other sub-components are Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS).

Objective of the Scheme

• To develop skilled workforce for the economy by promotion of on-the-job experiential training.
• To encourage establishments to enrol apprentices by sharing partial stipend support to the apprentices.
• To provide up-skilling opportunities for candidates who have undergone short-term skill training offered by various Central and State Government initiatives.
• To encourage enrolment of apprentices in small establishments especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and those located in the underserved areas such as aspirational districts and North-East Region.

Scope of the Scheme

• ITI Pass Outs
• Graduates / Diploma Holders
  ll Pass Outs from the NSQF aligned courses including  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)/DDUGKY etc.
• Dual-Learning Mode from it is
• Perusing Graduation / Diplomas
• Fresh apprentices

Scheme Targets

The target is to enrol 46 lakh apprentices over a period of four (4) years from FY 2022-23 to FY 2025-26.

Implementing Agencies

The Apprenticeship Program in India under the Apprenticeship Act 1961 is implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) at the National level. The MSDE has entrusted the Directorate General of Training [DGT] to implement the apprenticeship training falling under” Designated Trades” and made the National Skill Development Corporation [NSDC] responsible for apprenticeship training under “Optional Trades”. 

Key features

• Eligibility to avail benefits
  • Minimum age for an apprentice is 14 years, and 18 years for designated trades related to hazardous industries, as per Section 3(a) of the  Apprentices Act, 1961.
  • Apprenticeship training is primarily a transition from academia to workplace, and therefore, to avail partial stipend support by the Government, at the time of registration the upper age limit should be 35 years.
• Partial stipend support by GoI under NAPS-2 will be limited to 25% of stipend paid, up to a maximum of Rs.1,500 per month, per apprentice during the training period.
• No stipend support will be available under NAPS-2 to the Central and State Government Departments and Central and State Public Sector Undertakings/Enterprises, including Public Sector Banks.

Implementation Plan

Eligibility of Employer

• Employer is any person/entity who has business in any trade or occupation.
• The employers interested to avail the benefits of the scheme must fulfill the following:
  • Employer shall engage apprentices in a band of 2.5% to 10% of the total strength of the establishment
  • Employers must be registered with EPFO/ESIC/LIN/ UDYOGAADHAR
  • Employers must have TIN number.
  • Employers must register on the apprenticeship portal.
  • Employers must have an aadhaar linked bank account

Eligibility of Apprentice

• An apprentice is a person who has made contract of apprenticeship with the employer for apprenticeship training under the Act.
• Apprentices can be engaged from the following four categories:
• Trainees passed out from ITI courses
• Trainees under dual-learning mode from ITIs
• Trainees who have completed PMKVY/MES courses
• Candidates who possess minimum educational qualification required for a trade and have not undergone any formal trade training (Fresher apprentices)
• Apprentice must fulfill the following:
• He/she has completed 14 years of age and fulfills other requirements of the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• Every apprentice has to register on the portal.
• Every apprentice must have an aadhaar number.
• Must possess minimum age, educational and physical qualification prescribed  for the trade
• Maximum age in respect of Fresher apprentices shall be 35 years. Number of such apprentices may be upto 20% of the target in a year.

Eligibility of Basic Training Providers

• Basic Training Provider (BTP) is an entity who has the facilities for imparting basic training to apprentices.
• Types of BTPs:
• Government & Private Industrial Training Institutes.
• Industries/ establishments with in-house basic training facilities.
• BTP set up/supported by Industry clusters
• Selection of BTP:
• Government/Private ITI will automatically get selected as a BTP provided that they have spare seats (within overall affiliation) for running basic training. Spare shifts may be used for basic training.
• BTP will have to apply through portal for registration
• RDAT will review the application of BTP
• RDAT will arrange for physical inspection of BTP by a committee constituted for this purpose.
• Submission of Inspection report on-line by the committee.
• Review of inspection report and approval of BTP by RDAT
• Selection and offer to BTP on-line by RDAT.
• BTPs interested to avail the benefits of the scheme must fulfill the following:
• After approval, they can get registered
• BTP must be registered on the apprenticeship portal.
• BTP must have an aadhaar linked Bank Account.

Fields of apprenticeship training

Apprenticeship training can be provided to apprentices both in designated and optional trades.

• Designated trade : Designated trade means any trade or occupation as notified by the Government. At present, there are 259 designated trades are available for apprenticeship training.
• Optional trade :
• PMKVY/MES - Courses under PMKVY/MES with a duration of minimum 500 hrs. as basic training component and a one year practical content for on-the-job component designed by SSC/NCVT will be declared as optional trades.
• Created by employer -In a trade decided by employer with a duration of minimum 500 hrs. as basic training component and a one year practical content for on-the-job component, designed by employer and uploaded on the apprenticeship portal.

Duration of Apprenticeship Training

Apprenticeship Training consists of Basic Training and On-the-Job-Training/Practical Training at the workplace in the industry. Duration of apprenticeship training for different routes for getting the financial benefits of the scheme will be as follows:

Source : Apprenticeship Training Portal.