Introduction
- Cabinet approved NAPS to train apprentices
- Apprenticeship training is the efficient and noblest manner of providing skill training and developing skilled persons in the country
- NAPS is a part of labor reforms amending the factories act, labor laws act and apprenticeship act
- Major punishments such as imprisonment and liabilities pertaining to Apprenticeship act are removed through the amendments
NAPS labor reforms - Amended Acts
- Factories Act – Better worker safety and doubled provision for working overtime
- Labor laws act – Companies with less than 40 workers exempted from labor law provisions
- Apprenticeship act - Removal of mandate for absorption of half apprentices
Target of NAPS
- To train 50 lakh apprentices by 2020
Nodal Agency
- Ministry of Skill development and Entrepreneurship
- Implemented by Director of General Training (DGT)
Funding
- Initial corpus of 10000 crore rupees allocated to NAPS
- 50 percent of the funds borne by GOI
- 25 % of stipend amount given by GOI to employers
- Basic training is also supported by GOI in NAPS
About Apprenticeship training
- Apprenticeship training is one of the focus areas of National policy for skill development
- Provides industry led training program
- Apprenticeship training serves as the most efficient and effective means of formal training
- It provides practice oriented training program
- Apprenticeship training works hand in hand with the industry especially with MSMEs
- Apprenticeship training facilitates increase in opportunities by ten fold by 2020
- PM Modi recently launched the Apprenticeship portal to network employees, companies and government
- It is expected to become the country’s most powerful skill delivery program
Need for Apprenticeship program
- Migration of rural youth (2 million annually app)
- Employment opportunities are less due to high rate of migration
- As a result youth land up in low paid or under paid jobs
- Low profitability in agriculture
- No interest in Agriculture
- Urgent need to empower rural youth and women
- Nearly 74 percent of Indian households have monthly income less than 5000 rupees according SECC, 2011
- According to National sample survey, average monthly expenditure in urban areas is 2630 rupees compared to 1430 rupees in rural areas
- Women constitute only 25 % in the total work force
- Lower education
- Lack of skill training
- Now, only 10 percent of the workforce is trained including both formal and informal sector
Benefits of NAPS
- NAPS aims to skill apprentices to the tune of 5 million by the year 2020
- Youth hostels will be established in main cities to support youth for the first 6 to 12 months
- Employment department in each district empowered to provide career guidance programs in lieu of NAPS to youth pertaining to education or job
- NAPS aims to create job opportunities for rural youth in rural areas itself and minimize the migration problems
- NAPS trains rural youth on modern agriculture practices and technology to make them agriculture based entrepreneurs
- Training on farm machinery is provided to the youth
- Non farm apprentice training on a short term basis is provided
- NAPS works in alignment with the goals of PURA
- NAPS interfaces institutions like Khadi and Village industries, educational institutions, Small farmers agri business association, NGO etc to impart skill training to the apprentices in various job creating fields
- Agro tourism based industries offer new employment opportunities and skill training is provided in these areas
- Maharashtra State Agro and Tourism (MART) is a successful model with more than 150 centers run privately
- This successful model is followed in Kerala, Rajasthan, H.P and Gujarat
- NAPS develops such innovations
Conclusion
- NAPS trains millions of youth and is projected to be the vital scheme to drive skill development in India
- It works in tandem with the industry providing skill training with job oriented outcomes
- NAPS provides skill training at grass roots level
- It helps prevent the migration of rural youth to urban areas by establishing network with different rural non governmental institutions and provide training to rural youth and get employment in the rural areas
- The scheme will encourage third party agencies to impart skill training where in house training facility is unavailable
- Overall, NAPS helps GOI to achieve the Skill India mission