Women apprenticeships rises as structured training expands, says report

Womens participation in apprenticeship programmes has surged over the past two years, underscoring the role of structured training initiatives in narrowing gender gaps, a report said on Thursday.This steady growth highlights how structured apprenticeship programmes are bridging gender gaps, expanding access to skills, and driving inclusive workforce participation across India, according to TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship and GAN Global report -- Her Path, Her Power Revolutionising Womens Careers Through Apprenticeship.

Women's participation in apprenticeship programmes has surged over the past two years, underscoring the role of structured training initiatives in narrowing gender gaps, a report said on Thursday.

This steady growth highlights how structured apprenticeship programmes are bridging gender gaps, expanding access to skills, and driving inclusive workforce participation across India, according to TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship and GAN Global report -- Her Path, Her Power: Revolutionising Women's Careers Through Apprenticeship. The report showed that the number of women apprentices has increased from 1,24,000 in 2021-22 to 1,96,914 in 2023-24.

The report is based on apprenticeship data covering over one million apprentices across more than 1,000 organisations over the past decade, complemented by structured analysis of publicly available government and industry datasets.

The report further stated that structured apprenticeships are helping bring women into tangible workforce, with rising engagement across IT and BPM, retail, automotive, electronics, BFSI, tourism and hospitality, food processing, life sciences, logistics, and healthcare.

Hyderabad leads with 42 per cent women apprentices in 2024, while Kolkata and Chennai show steady gains, it stated.

Yet, challenges remain with 38 per cent of organisations reporting no women apprentices, 26 per cent indicating women make up just 1-10 per cent of their apprentice pool, and only 2 per cent achieve over 50 per cent representation, highlighting the need for sustained focus on inclusion and targeted interventions, it said.

According to the report, women currently contribute only 18 per cent to India's GDP, despite their critical role in the economy, and a significant portion remains outside the formal workforce, with 60 percent of working-age women not participating.

The Female Labour Force Participation Rate stands at 29 percent for ages 15-29 years, 45 percent for ages 15-59 years, and 31.7 percent overall, among the lowest globally.

Projections indicate that India's women workforce may reach 255 million by 2047, achieving 45 per cent participation, yet leaving 145 million women absent from the workforce needed to meet national growth ambitions.

''Expanding women's participation through apprenticeships represents a significant opportunity for India's workforce. Female enrolment has grown by nearly 58 per cent over the last three years, yet women continue to account for less than one-fifth of the total apprentice base, indicating substantial untapped potential,'' Dr Nipun Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, said.

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