Skill Development Ministry council clears reforms to boost apprenticeship

A council under the Skill and Development Ministry on Wednesday cleared proposals like raising engagement limit of apprentices to 15 per cent of the total strength of an establishment and rationalisation of stipend payable with a view to giving a boost to apprenticeship training. The Central Apprenticeship Council chaired by Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey also passed a proposal to lower the size limit of an establishment with mandatory obligation to engage apprentices from 40 to 30, an official release said.

Under the rationalisation of the duration of apprenticeship training for optional trades, a decision was taken to amend the period of apprenticeship training from a minimum of six months to a maximum of 36 months. Further, it was brought to the notice of the Council that the present stipulated minimum stipend per month for apprentices is linked to the minimum wage of semi-skilled workers in the state concerned.

A decision was taken to define the minimum stipend rate for each category of apprentices with a provision of an annual increment along with a revision of the minimum base stipend on an annual/biennial basis as the need may be. The proposal to raise the upper limit of engagement of apprentices from the existing 10 per cent of the total strength of an establishment to 15 per cent, is subject to a minimum of 5 per cent of the total being reserved for fresher apprentices.

The council discussed reforms to be introduced in apprenticeship training through amendments to Apprenticeship Rules, 1992, a release said. The previous Modi government in March 2019 had reconstituted the council under the Skill and Development Ministry. The council aims to meet the aspirations of the Indian youth who strive to gain on-the-job training and secure better opportunities for employment.

"In order to engage apprentices in smaller companies, a decision was taken to lower the size-limit of an establishment with a mandatory obligation to engage apprentices on an optional basis from 40 to 30, and to lower the size-limit of an establishment wanting to engage apprentices from 6 to 4," an official statement said. Addressing the participants, Pandey said, Apprenticeship can receive further momentum by the introduction of innovative reforms. Care should be taken that the stipends provided to apprentices are not only adequate for the apprentices but also do not discourage industries to engage apprentices.

"The proposed reforms in this CAC Meeting are an effort to increase the engagement of apprentices in establishments across the country. "Apprenticeship training will give confidence to potential employers by filling current or predicted skill shortages by nurturing their own in-house talent along with ensuring increased employee retention," he added.

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