Revitalising India’s Apprenticeship Framework
Context
NITI Aayog released a comprehensive policy report titled “Revitalising India’s Apprenticeship Framework: Challenges, Insights and Strategic Pathways.”
To institutionalise apprenticeships as a central instrument of workforce development and advance the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Report Snapshot
Coverage: Examines the present architecture, performance gaps, and future scope of the apprenticeship ecosystem in India.
Policy Roadmap: Recommends 20 focused interventions grouped under governance reform, institutional capacity enhancement, regional outreach, industry linkage, and learner facilitation.
Evaluation Mechanism: Proposes a State Apprenticeship Performance Index and a unified digital framework for monitoring and implementation.
Major Findings and Evidence
Uneven Participation: Apprenticeship enrolments are highly concentrated, with Gujarat contributing over 24% of total engagements under NAPS in FY 2024–25.
Industrial State Dominance: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Karnataka account for the bulk of national apprenticeship opportunities.
Regional Exclusion: Several states and UTs record negligible participation, revealing deep-rooted spatial disparities.
Employability Gap: Rising unemployment among higher-education graduates reflects weak alignment between degrees and market-relevant skills.
Emerging Opportunity: The report highlights that linking apprenticeships with agri-residue-based bio-energy value chains could generate nearly 18 GW of renewable power annually.
Rationale for Strengthening Apprenticeships
Education–Work Continuum: Serves as a bridge between academic instruction and industrial skill requirements, reinforcing NEP-driven vocational integration.
Job Readiness: Experiential learning enhances employability and accelerates school-to-work and college-to-industry transitions.
Enterprise-Level Gains: Employers access semi-skilled manpower trained in enterprise-specific workflows, lowering training and recruitment costs.
Equity and Inclusion: District-led implementation expands opportunities for rural youth and marginalised communities.
Global Skill Alignment: Standardised curricula and portable certifications enhance international labour market compatibility.
Systemic Constraints
Perception Bias: Vocational pathways continue to be viewed as secondary to degree-based education.
Spatial Industrial Imbalance: Concentration of industries in select regions limits apprenticeship penetration nationwide.
Procedural Complexity: Multiple schemes and compliance layers deter MSME participation.
Institutional Capacity Gaps: Inadequate training infrastructure and weak district-level capacity impede effective rollout.
Curriculum Lag: Slow updates in training content reduce relevance amid rapid technological change.
Existing Policy Interventions
NEP 2020 Alignment: Embeds vocational learning and apprenticeships within mainstream education.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme: Incentivises employer participation and supports apprentice stipends.
National Apprentice Training Scheme: Focuses on diploma and graduate-level apprentices through a dedicated framework.
District Skill Committees: Enable decentralised identification and execution of local skill priorities.
Strategic Way Forward
Integrated Digital Portal: Establish a single-window system to simplify registration, monitoring, and compliance.
Performance-Based Federalism: Use state-level benchmarking to encourage competitive improvement.
MSME Cluster Models: Promote shared apprenticeship arrangements among small enterprises.
International Standardisation: Map certifications to global qualification frameworks.
Cultural Reorientation: Launch nationwide awareness campaigns to elevate apprenticeships as aspirational career options.
Conclusion
The report presents a pragmatic roadmap to harness India’s demographic potential through a robust apprenticeship ecosystem. Addressing regional disparities, strengthening district institutions, and aligning skills with future industries can transform apprenticeships into a cornerstone of inclusive growth and global workforce competitiveness by 2047.
Source : PIB