Dharmendra Pradhan Launches DBT in NAPS to Strengthen Apprenticeship Ecosystem in India

To bolster the participation of both industries and young individuals in apprenticeship training on a nationwide scale, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship today launched Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). An amount of approx Rs.. 15 crores was disbursed to one lakh apprentices by the Minister today marking the launch of DBT in NAPS.

A total of 25 lakh youth have been engaged as apprentices since the inception of  National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme in 2016, till 31st July 2023. Around 2.6 lakh Apprentices have completed training in FY 23-24.

The Government of India’s proactive efforts to promote quality training across sectors, led to the number of active establishments subsequently increase from 6,755 in 2018-19 to 40,655 in 2023-24.

Lauding the initiative, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that today is a momentous day towards invigorating the apprenticeship ecosystem in our country. Launch of DBT in National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme is a big step towards fulfilling our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of making skilling an apprenticeship aspirational as well as encouraging earning while learning as envisioned in NEP. He congratulated all the 1 lakh apprentices who have received stipend through DBT today.

Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship said that empowering our nation's youth with skills is at the heart of our vision, and the introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) through NAPS marks a stride towards transparency and efficiency. A skilled workforce is paramount, and our multifaceted strategy, encompassing policy evolution, industry synergies, and heightened recognition. In harmony with India's core values of inclusivity and diversity, today's Chintan Shivir on Apprenticeship underscores a crucial mission. Together, we forge ahead to craft a future where every individual's potential finds its truest expression, he added.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan interacted with some of the vibrant  industry clusters and enthusiastic apprentices across Maharashtra, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh. There has been more 488% increase in number of establishments who have started apprenticeship training since the commencement of NAPS. This increased adoption of apprenticeship training will strengthen our nation's workforce and economy. Some of them were Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), Baddi Cluster from Himachal Pradesh and North Malabar Consortium Industry cluster

The MSDE also organized the Chintan Shivir on “Enhancing Apprenticeship Engagement” to elevate the uptake of apprenticeship programs among all stakeholders. A core facet of this session is to amplify the role and responsibility of various entities, including other central and state governments, industry bodies, and the private sector.

The Chintan Shivir was divided in three breakout sessions themed on Stakeholder Convergences to Make Apprenticeship Aspirational, Strategies and Practices to promote Quality Apprenticeship, and Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Apprenticeship Ecosystem, respectively.

These sessions were co-chaired by Smt Sonal Mishra, Joint Secretary, MSDE, Additional Secretary, MSDE and Smt, Soumya Gupta, Joint Secretary, MoE MSDE; Trishaljit Sethi, Additional Secretary, Director General, DGT, MSDE and Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC and MD, NSDC International; Shri. Nilambuj Sharan, Senior Economic Adviser, MSDE and Smt. Heena Usman, Joint Secretary, MSDE.

The deliberations were centered around:

• • Fostering dialogue exchange on apprenticeship
  • Increase uptake of apprenticeship
  • Quality enhancement
  • Necessity of equal opportunities for all, including marginalized, unserved, and underserved communities from various backgrounds and geographies.

The key achievements of National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) include:

• In FY 2023-24, approximately 2.6 lakh apprentices have successfully completed their training.
• Women apprentices have also increased from 22,427 in 2018-19 to 1.48 lakh in FY 2022-23, registering a nearly 7 fold increase in last five years.
• The number of active establishments has subsequently increased from 6,755 in 2018-19 to 40,655 in 2023-24.
• In 2022-2023: We have trained 4.80 lakh apprentices in Optional Trades while we in DT we have trained 2.58 lakh apprentices.
• We today witness states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana topping the apprenticeship engagement chart
• More than 9 lakh youth who are apprentices today are in the age group of 23-26
• There are takers right from 5-8^th passout to Graduate, Post Graduate and Certificate holders who have opted for apprenticeship training
• Our last mile impact has today reached out to North Eastern Region, to aspirational districts and tribal districts
• To create awareness about Apprenticeship we have held Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Melas and Kaushal Mahotsav and industry cluster workshops at a large scale across the country
• There is participation from Industrial Corridors, Industrial Parks, Chamber of Commerce, Private sector banks, Large CA Firms, Sector Skills Councils and Industry clusters in boosting apprenticeship training

With the implementation of NAPS, the Government of India reimburses 25% of the prescribed stipend — subject to a maximum of Rs. 1500/- per month per apprentice — that all employers undertake by engaging apprentices. With the implementation of NAPS, it has been noted that not all establishments seek partial reimbursement of stipend by the Government.  Going by past trends, 30% of target apprentices, under NAPS 2.0, will be paid their stipend by Government of India. With the implementation of DBT, the number of apprentices is expected to increase. Accordingly, the percentage of apprentices covered will be going up beyond 30%.