Centre's apprenticeship scheme sees 15x rise in trainee dropouts in 5 years

Dropouts under the government's apprenticeship scheme have surged over 15 times in five years, outpacing enrolments and completions, raising concerns over training outcomes

Dropouts from the Centre’s flagship apprenticeship scheme, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), have risen more than fifteenfold over the past five years — far outpacing growth in enrolments and training completions, show government data. The number of apprentices leaving training before completion rose to 425,080 in FY26 from 27,183 in FY21, according to data from the NAPS performance dashboard. Dropouts accounted for nearly nine per cent of apprentices engaged in FY21, compared with roughly 35 per cent in FY26.

 

Over the same period, the number of apprentices engaged rose nearly fourfold to 1.21 million in FY26 from 307,779 in FY21, while the number completing training increased at a slower pace, rising nearly threefold to 626,379 from 214,959.

 

As a result, the gap between apprentices engaged and those completing training has widened in recent years. While nearly 70 per cent of apprentices engaged completed training in FY21, that proportion fell to just over half in FY26. The data show that although the number of trainees completing programmes has increased, completion rates have not kept pace with the rapid expansion in enrolments.

 

The scheme, operated by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), was launched in 2016 to expand apprenticeship opportunities across sectors and boost industry participation. Under the framework of the Apprentices Act, participating establishments engage apprentices in both designated and optional trades.

 

Apprenticeship training typically lasts several months to a few years, depending on the trade and sector. Trainees receive stipends during the training period and must complete the prescribed duration and assessments to receive certification.

 

NAPS provides financial support to the establishments by reimbursing part of the stipend paid to apprentices. It is designed to promote industry-led training by combining on-the-job learning with classroom instruction.

 

Notably, recent policy debates have increasingly highlighted weak outcomes in India’s skilling ecosystem, particularly low certification and completion rates across major programmes. Policy analysts and government bodies such as NITI Aayog have noted that while enrolment and participation in schemes such as NAPS have expanded, a significant share of trainees fail to complete their programmes, limiting their impact on employability.

 

Concerns over outcomes in government skilling programmes have also been raised in Parliament. Data shared by the MSDE in the Lok Sabha showed that fewer than one-fourth of candidates certified under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) secured employment. As of December 31, 2025, about 2.4 million candidates, or 21.96 per cent, had been placed out of 11.1 million trainees certified under PMKVY 1.0 to PMKVY 3.0, which were implemented between FY16 and FY23.