MSDE asks CPSEs to raise apprenticeship intake, track employment outcomes

The ministry has asked public sector enterprises to prepare time-bound apprenticeship plans, improve women's participation and monitor training completion, job placement and retention

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Wednesday asked central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) to increase apprenticeship intake, improve women's participation and track how many apprentices complete training and secure jobs.

 

At the National Review of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) held in New Delhi, MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee asked enterprises to prepare time-bound recruitment plans in line with the applicable 2.5-15 per cent apprenticeship requirement. She also called for validation of workforce and portal data and the appointment of senior-level officers to monitor implementation, the ministry said.

 

“The review underscored the need to reposition apprenticeship not as a fallback option, but as a credible and aspirational pathway that combines theoretical learning with practical workplace experience, enabling young people to acquire industry-relevant skills and become job-ready,” MSDE said in a statement.

 

 

The Apprentices Act, 1961, and its rules require eligible establishments to engage apprentices equivalent to 2.5-15 per cent of their workforce. The Centre's National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS-2) operates within this framework, providing government support for part of the stipend paid to apprentices. Under NAPS-2, introduced in 2022-23, the government reimburses 25 per cent of the prescribed minimum stipend, capped at Rs 1,500 per apprentice per month, through direct benefit transfer.

 

Under the scheme, 4.5 million apprentices were engaged between 2022-23 and September 22, 2026, across 47,452 active establishments, according to the ministry.

 

Mukherjee said the programme's performance should be assessed not only by the number of apprentices engaged but also by completion rates, certification, employability, absorption into jobs and retention.

 

The call to improve women's participation comes amid a gender gap in the scheme. Women accounted for 29.5 per cent of apprentices engaged under NAPS in 2026-27 up to October 2026, with 399,127 women among 1.35 million apprentices, according to an analysis of the scheme's dashboard published by Business Standard on October 25.

 

Women's representation was lower in several technical trades. They accounted for 6 per cent of apprentices in electrician trades and 2.6 per cent in fitter trades, while no women were registered in welding, diesel mechanic and lineman courses, the dashboard data showed.

 

A parliamentary standing committee on labour, textiles and skill development has also flagged the absence of specific targets for women's participation under NAPS.

 

During the review, MSDE asked CPSEs to prepare enterprise-wise, time-bound apprenticeship intake plans in line with the applicable 2.5-15 per cent requirement to bridge the gap between their potential intake and actual engagement. It also asked enterprises to verify workforce and portal data, set recruitment timelines and appoint senior-level nodal officers to monitor progress and resolve implementation bottlenecks.