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 5th and 8th 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:

Source: TH