Preparation Of Skill Development With An Apprenticeship

Preparation of skill development with an apprenticeship will also be mandatory for manufacturing, service, trade, commerce, and educational institutions.

On-the-job training will provide skill development to the youth of the country on a large scale. The government is preparing for a major change in the law for an apprenticeship.

The government has already expanded the apprenticeship limited to manufacturing only to the services sector. Now trade and commerce will also be included in this.

According to Skill Development Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, the new changes will create a better ecosystem for apprenticeship and will provide good employment opportunities to the youth.

It is believed that after all the changes, more than 20 lakh youth will be doing apprenticeships in the country at one time.

Preparation of skill development: Every year before the year 2014, only 60–70 thousand youths were undergoing on-the-job training.

After bringing the services sector under the purview of apprenticeship in the year 2014, their number increased and in the last year, 1.25 lakh youths got skill development training while doing jobs.

According to the law, it is mandatory for industries with more than 30 workers to put 2.5 percent of the total youth in the skill development program.

A senior skill development ministry official said it was never strictly followed. Even industries were reluctant to involve the youth in this process due to the complex and mandatory paperwork process of apprenticeship.

Now the government will ensure that 2.5% of the total workers are compulsory for an apprenticeship, but at the same time, the whole process will be simplified in such a way that it can become a partner rather than a burden for the industries.

According to the senior official, industries will no longer need to keep the registration and training documents of the youth involved in apprenticeship.

Preparation of skill development: For this, other companies will be entrusted with responsibility under the Third Party Agreement.

Likewise, the compulsion for youth undergoing this process to appear in the National Apprenticeship Certificate Examination will be done away with.

Now, this exam will be held twice a year, but students will be allowed to sit in it or not.

Along with this, industries will be allowed to conduct special examinations to identify the skills of youth who have completed apprenticeships.

The obligation of prior approval from the relevant authorities for apprenticeship to the industries will be removed.

After bringing the manufacturing and services sector as well as trade, commerce, educational, and training institutions under the purview of apprenticeship, its conditions will also be changed according to the changed scenario.

Till now, only industries had to keep young people for an apprenticeship in their premises. Now they will be given training exemption at any site located in the country and abroad.

In addition, schools, colleges, and universities will be allowed to design courses that include formal education as well as a part-time apprenticeship.

The senior official said that extensive changes are being held with all the parties for changes in the apprenticeship law.

The bill will then be drafted for amendment. He hoped that by the end of this year, these changes would be implemented.