Skill India: Apprenticeship

National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) is a new scheme of Government of India notified on 19th August, 2016. The main focus is to promote apprenticeship training in the country by incentivizing the employers who wish to engage apprentices and to fulfill the vision and mission of Skill India.

Objective
To promote apprenticeship training and to increase engagement of apprentices from present 2.3 lakh to 50 lakh cumulatively by 2020.

Scope
This scheme covers all categories of apprentices except the Graduate, Technician and Technician (Vocational) apprentices which are covered by a scheme administered by Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Components
• Reimbursement of stipend: Government of India will reimburse 25% of the prescribed stipend payable to apprentices subject to a maximum of Rs. 1500/- per month to all employers engaging apprentices.
• Sharing of basic training cost: Sharing of basic training cost in respect of fresher apprentices (who come directly to apprenticeship training without any formal training) limited to Rs. 7500/- per apprentice for a maximum duration of 500 hours /3 months.

Eligibility Criteria
1) For employers
• Employer is any person/entity who has business in any trade or occupation.
• Employer shall engage apprentices in a band of 2.5% to 10% of the total strength of the establishment.
• Employers must register on the apprenticeship portal.

2) For apprentices
• An apprentice is a person who has entered into a contract of apprenticeship with the employer for apprenticeship training under the Apprenticeship Act 1961.
• Apprentices can be engaged from:
(i) Trainees passed out ITI.
(ii) Trainees under dual-learning mode from ITIs.
(iii) Trainees who have successfully completed PMKVY/MES courses.
(iv) Candidates who possess minimum educational qualification required for a trade and have not undergone any formal training (Fresher apprentices).
• He/she must have completed 14 years of age and fulfills all educational and physical qualification prescribed for the trade.
• An apprentice has to register on the online portal.
• An apprentice must have an Aadhaar number.
• An apprentice must have an Aadhaar seeded bank account.
• Maximum age in respect of fresher apprentices shall be 21 years.

3) For Basic Training Providers
• Basic Training Provider (BTP) is an entity who has the facilities for imparting basic training to apprentices.
BTP can be :
- Government or Private Industrial Training Institutes.
- Industries/ establishments with in-house basic training facilities.
- BTP set up/supported by Industry clusters.
Selection of BTP:
- BTP will have to register on the online portal.
- Selection and offer to BTPs on-line by respective RDATs.

Sharing of Basic training cost to BTP:
• Basic training cost of Rs 7500/- per apprentice for a maximum of 500 hours/3 months of training administered by BTP shall be shared with BTP as follows:
- RDAT/State Apprenticeship Advisor will make the payment towards the cost of basic training to BTPs through their bank account.
- Payment of Rs 5000/- per apprentice shall be made after successful completion of basic training and the remaining basic training cost of Rs 2500/- per apprentice shall be paid after completion of apprenticeship training by the apprentice.

Implementing Agencies:
• RDATs and State Apprenticeship Advisors are the implementing agencies for their respective regions.
• RDATs and State Apprenticeship Advisors will register the contract of apprenticeship through online portal (www.apprenticeship.gov.in) and monitor the implementation of the scheme.