Skill development ministry exhorts CPSEs to promote apprenticeship

Union minister R K Singh on Thursday urged central PSUs to increase the intake of apprentices around three times, stating that it is their duty to train potential new workers. The number of apprentices at central public sector enterprises is just 2 lakh, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship R K Singh said at an event here.

"Total apprentice in public sector enterprises is 2 lakh whereas you should be engaging 6 lakh. In order to industrialise, the government invested in public sector. You all are functioning now. You have a duty (now) " he said. However, he did not fix any deadline to meet this number but said he along with Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey will personally engage with PSUs to achieve this goal.

While asking the PSUs to promote apprenticeship, Singh said he along with ministerial colleagues Pander and senior ministry officials will be meeting CMDs of PSUs across sectors before December end. "Let's begin with power, then defence then oil and gas," he said while sharing his plan.

In India, he said, there are only 400,000 apprentices, whereas in Japan the number is 10 million, in Germany 3 million and in China 20 million.