The Apprenticeship Training Scheme (ATS) supplement the skill learnt in the ITIs in the form of Workplace training in the shop-floor of Industries, Governed by Apprenticeship Training Act 1961(Last Amended on 2014). Apprenticeship Training is a course of training in any industry or establishment, undergone in pursuance of a legal contract of apprenticeship between employer and apprentices and under prescribed terms and conditions. Industries in all sectors of economy namely manufacturing and services are covered under this programme. There are around 261 designated trades available as notified on the portal. During apprenticeship training establishments pay stipend to the trainee at a rate notified by Gazette. As per latest Gazette notification dated 25th September,2019 for one year ITI trade passed out trainee the amount of stipend is @ Rs.7700 per month and for two years ITI trade passed out trainee the amount of stipend is @ Rs.8050 per month.

MAIN ACTIVITIES UNDER ATS

• To register trainees (ITI Passed-outs& Fresher candidates) in the apprenticeship portal.
• Identification of industry/establishment and handholding them to register under apprenticeship scheme through Central Portal (apprenticeshipindia.org).
• Approval of contract registration
• To conduct AITT for Apprentices.
• To visit Industry on regular basis to extend more Apprenticeship.
• Certification
• Conduction of awareness workshop related with new reforms of apprenticeship act with the different stakeholder

Apprentices Act, 1961 was enacted with the following objectives :–

• To regulate the programme of training of apprentices in the industry so as to conform to the prescribed syllabi, period of training etc.as laid down by the Central Apprenticeship Council; and
• To utilise the facilities available in industry for imparting practical training with a view to meeting the requirements of skilled manpower for industry

 

Stipend (Year Wise)

Every apprentice undergoing apprenticeship training in an establishment shall be a trainee and not a worker and as such the provisions of any law with respect to labour shall not apply to or in relation to such apprentice.

Training of Trade Apprentices

• Minimum age 14 years.
• The eligibility criteria vary from class 8th pass to 12th pass (10+2) system.
• The training period varies from one year and 2 months to 2 years.
• The training consists of basic training and practical training followed by curriculum instructions as prescribed for each trade.
• There are 261 occupations specified in 39 occupation groups.
• The number of seats for apprentices is calculated in the band of 2.5% to 10% of the total number of personnel.
• Every apprentice and employer have to enter into a contract for apprenticeship training which is registered by apprenticeship consultants.
• Employers and apprentices have to fulfill their obligations under this Act.

Examination and certification of trade apprentices

• All India Trade Tests (AITT) are conducted twice a year (October/November and April/May) by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) for trade apprentices.
• Those who pass the AITT are awarded National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC).
• NAC is valid for employment in Government/Semi-Government departments/organisations.

 

National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)

1 Apprenticeship Training:

Apprenticeship training means a course of training in any industry or establishment undergone in pursuance of a contract of apprenticeship on prescribed terms and conditions, which may be different for different categories of apprentices. Under the scheme, training will be imparted in Designated Trades and Optional Trades.

2 Designated Trades (DT):

Designated Trade means any trade or occupation or any subject field in engineering or non-engineering or technology or any vocational course which the Central Government, after consultation with the Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC), may, notify in the Gazette.

Duration:

1. Duration of apprenticeship training in DT for Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) pass-out candidates will ordinarily be one (1) year.
2. Duration of apprenticeship training in DT for fresher / non-ITI pass-out candidates will ordinarily be two (2) years.

3 Optional Trades (OT):

Optional Trade means any trade or occupation or any subject field in engineering or non-engineering or technology or any vocational course as may be determined by the employer1.

Duration:

1. Duration of apprenticeship training for OT will be six (6) months, nine (9) months, and twelve (12) months.
2. In certain cases, the duration can exceed one (1) year, subject to the approval from MSDE.

4 Eligibility to avail benefits

1. 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.
2. 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.

5 Basic training

1. In case of DT, notified through the Gazette, the duration of basic training will be as per the approved course.
2. In case of OT, basic training will be embedded in the course duration of apprenticeship. It will be of minimum two (2) weeks duration before the OJT and will focus on orientation/ induction into the establishment.
3. Induction will include an overview of basic hygiene, occupational health and safety, protocols for handling of hazardous material, etc.
4. No reimbursement of basic training cost will be provided under NAPS-2, both for DT and OT.

6 Funding support under NAPS-2

1. 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.
2. The stipend support by GoI will be paid through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank account of apprentices.
3. 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.
4. Large private organisations will be encouraged to join a Give It Up Campaign and forego the stipend support by GoI under the scheme.

Roles and responsibilities of implementing, monitoring, and promotion agencies

 

1 Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is responsible for the overall regulation, management, and monitoring of NAPS-2.

2 National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET)

National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) is the overarching regulator establishing regulations and standards to ensure quality in the Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) space.

3 Regional Directorate of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (RDSDEs):

As per the Apprentices, Act 1961, RDSDEs are appointed as Apprenticeship Advisers (AAs) in respect of Designated Trades for all establishments under the Central Government jurisdiction. They are responsible for the promotion, implementation, monitoring, and supervision of NAPS-2, including approval of contracts, examination, and certification of the apprentices, for their respective jurisdictions. They are also responsible for robust coordination with the State Government(s)/Union Territory (UT) Administration for enhancing stakeholder capacity building and awareness creation through campaigns, melas, workshops, seminars, etc. Further, RDSDEs in coordination with the concerned ITIs will reach out to other educational institutions, including schools, colleges, polytechnics, etc. in their jurisdiction to make apprenticeship training reach a larger segment of the youth.

4 State Government/Union Territories (UT) Administration:

As per the Apprentices Act, 1961, the respective State Government and UT Administration are the appropriate authorities for the implementation of apprenticeship training for both Designated and Optional Trades, in respect of all establishments under their respective jurisdictions, for which they shall appoint State Apprenticeship Advisers (SAAs). The Government may also appoint Deputy and Assistant Apprenticeship Advisers to assist the State Apprenticeship Adviser in the performance of his functions as per the Section (27) of the Apprentices Act, 1961. To create a vibrant and robust apprenticeship ecosystem, States/UTs will ensure that apprenticeship engagement is regularly reviewed and monitored in the respective District Skill Committees (DSCs) and State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Committees (SSDECs), with a focus on apprenticeship engagement by State departments and State Public Sector Undertakings (SPSUs).

5 State Apprenticeship Advisers (SAAs):

As per the Apprentices Act, 1961, the SAAs are appointed as Apprenticeship Advisers (AAs) in respect of Designated and Optional Trades for all establishments under the State Government jurisdiction. They are responsible for the promotion, implementation, monitoring, and supervision of NAPS-2, including approval of contracts, examination, and certification of the apprentices, for their respective jurisdictions. They are also responsible for stakeholder capacity building and awareness creation through campaigns, melas, workshops, seminars, etc., in coordination with the concerned RDSDEs. SAAs may appoint the Mission Directors (MDs) of the respective State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs) as AAs for Optional Trades. At the district level, SAAs may appoint Assistant Apprenticeship Advisers (AAAs) under the Act for effective implementation of the apprenticeship training.

6 National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is responsible for implementing, monitoring and supervision of apprenticeship in Optional Trades, through Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), for establishments under the Central Government jurisdiction. NSDC will manage the apprenticeship portal and release partial stipend support by the GoI to apprentices, for both Designated and Optional Trades via DBT. NSDC is also responsible for stakeholder capacity building and engagement; awareness creation through campaigns, melas, workshops, seminars, etc.; and advocacy and promotional activities.

7 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs):

The SSCs, under the aegis of NSDC, are implementing apprenticeship training in respect of Optional Trades for all establishments under the Central Government jurisdiction. Under the Apprentices Act, 1961, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of SSCs have been appointed as Joint Apprenticeship Advisers (JAAs) via office order No. MSDE 6(1)/2018-AP dated 18th May 2018. They are responsible for the promotion, implementation, monitoring, and supervision of NAPS-2, including approval of contracts, examination, and certification of the apprentices, for their respective jurisdictions. They are also responsible for stakeholder capacity building and awareness creation through campaigns, melas, workshops, seminars, etc. SSCs will ensure establishments falling under their sector / concerned line ministries to actively engage apprentices.

8 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs):

Private and Government ITIs will create awareness about apprenticeship and will act as facilitators between their students and establishments for undertaking apprenticeship training. They will undertake apprenticeship promotional activities including organizing melas, workshops, seminars, etc in their respective ITIs. ITIs will also track their students during apprenticeship and subsequent job placements for a minimum period of one (1) year. They will seek feedback from the employers on the quality and comprehensiveness of training imparted by the ITIs to improve the employability of their students. The nodal Government ITI principal, being the Member Secretary of the District Skill Committees (DSCs), chaired by the District Magistrate, will ensure that apprenticeship is part of the District Skill Development Plan (DSDP) created by the DSC.

9 Third Party Aggregators (TPAs):

Empanelled TPAs by MSDE are the key partners towards bridging the demand of establishments for apprentices and the candidates aspiring to undertake apprenticeship training, with a special focus on MSMEs. They play key role in mobilising and counselling aspiring apprentices, meeting prescribed curriculum requirements, processing claims on behalf of establishments, facilitating assessments and issuing certifications. TPAs will proactively participate in the overall promotion of the scheme. They will also facilitate and track placements of the apprentices for at least one (1) year after apprenticeship training. TPAs will submit a monthly performance report to NSDC/MSDE as per the TPA guidelines for effective progress tracking and monitoring.