National Employability Through Apprenticeship Program

• 11 Mar 2021

Why in News

The National Employability Through Apprenticeship Program (NETAP) has released its latest edition of the Apprenticeship Outlook Report for 2021 (January-June 2021).

• Apprenticeship is a Skill Training program wherein a person is engaged by a company as an apprentice and gains classroom (theory) learning for a short period, followed by on-the-job (practical) training.

Key Points

• About the National Employability through Apprenticeship Program:
  
  • It was set up in 2014 as a 100% employer-funded Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
  • The program was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and TeamLease Skills University (Gujarat).
  • It is in accordance with the National Employability Enhancement Mission of the AICTE.
  • NETAP was structured to overcome the challenges of the Apprenticeship Act, 1961.
    
    • NETAP proposed to appoint 2 lac apprentices every year for the next 10 years. At peak capacity, it will be the world's largest apprenticeship program.
  • It will help the unemployed youth to build skills through Learning by doing and Learning while earning along with providing them with access to practical skills.

National Employability Enhancement Mission

• It is a pioneering initiative taken jointly by AICTE and Government of India.
• Introduced in 2013, the NEEM aims to offer practical trainings to enhance employability of any person who:
  
  • Is either pursuing graduation/diploma in any technical or non-technical stream, or
  • Have discontinued studies of degree or diploma courses.
• A NEEM Trainee is any registered person who has a minimum education up to Class X and is between 16 to 40 years of age.
• A total of 23 industries have been listed in the NEEM where a trainee can be enrolled. It includes the automobile industry, pharmaceuticals, electronics & hardware, food processing, healthcare services and the financial sector.
• The NEEM is envisioned to place at least 10,000 students per year in registered companies or registered industries for the purpose of providing training.

• Key Findings of the Apprenticeship Outlook Report:
  
  • India’s Apprenticeship Ecosystem: Some 41% of the employers in India are keen on hiring apprentices while 58% of enterprises want to increase the quantum of their apprenticeship hiring this year.
  • Leading Cities: Chennai has emerged as the most apprentice friendly city.
    
    • Among non-metro cities, Ahmedabad and Nagpur are the most promising cities for apprenticeship.
  • Leading Sectors: The manufacturing, automobiles and ancillaries, and retail are the leading sectors.
  • Positive Trend for Hiring Women Apprentices: Overall the preference for women apprentices has increased by 10% from the previous half year.
    
    • This trend was more visible in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata.
• Significance:
  
  • India’s working-age population is estimated to continue to increase through 2041. This will have major implications on the required rate of job creation in the economy.
  • Statistics show that approximately 3% of children dropout after grade 5^th and 8^th in the country owing to socio-economic challenges. Apprenticeship can be an important mechanism for seamless transitioning from school to work and bridging of skill-gap in the workforce.
• Other Initiatives to Promote Apprenticeships:
  
  • Apprenticeship Act of 1961 (and the Amendments to the Act).
  • Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS)
  • National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)
  • Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement Scheme
  • YuWaah Youth Skilling Initiative
  • Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

Source: TH