Apprenticeship is a relatively new concept for the services industry in India. It is one of the most reliable ways of capacity building through training the youth as per industry requirements. Hence, we need to create lot of awareness and inform the industry about its benefits in finding, nurturing and grooming creative talent.
Media and Entertainment is one of the top industries with huge potential to create jobs and needs skilled workforce. Being highly creative in nature, many job roles in this industry require a lot of hands-on experience, fresh and out-of-the-box thinking and new ways of creating content. Whether it for entertainment, edutainment or any other purpose, we need people who are well equipped with tools, technology and techniques.
Let’s look at why Media and Entertainment industry should engage apprentices through National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)? Take for instance, the job role of a Photographer or a Lighting Artist or a Voice Over Artist. These are popular role in the Entertainment industry. But, the artists and photographers are mostly freelancers or part-time professionals. In fact, most of them could be amateurs without any formal training in the specialized domain. They could be offering their services as and when required. Their employers too would fall under the unorganized sector availing their services on a project basis. This is how, typically, many employers find the talent they need.
Above example presents an unorganized way of finding, grooming and nurturing creative talent; apprenticeships could help in seeking long-term solution. The artists will get a chance to work under masters and senior professionals who could be employers and domain experts. While most employers belong to the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the entertainment industry, it makes business sense to adopt apprenticeship as a strategy to develop talent as per the skills and knowledge needed in the industry.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) for Media and Entertainment industry
NAPS is an incentivised scheme from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) that encourages the industry to engage apprentices to ensure a regular supply of skilled personnel. For the youth and students, it offers a great opportunity to get exposed to the real work environment and learn from the industry.
World over, apprenticeships have proved to be a win-win way of attracting and retaining talent, by catching them young. Here’s how the incentives work:
The government shares 25% of the prescribed stipend, subject to a maximum of INR 1,500 per month per apprentice per month to the employer. There is also a sharing of cost of Basic Training with Basic Training Providers (BTP); up to INR 7,500 for 3 months/ 500 hours. Visit the page http://www.mescindia.org/naps.php to know more about NAPS.
Related article: 7 ways to put National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) into successful practice Read more: https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/national-apprenticeship-promotion-scheme-naps/
How NAPS can be implemented in a services industry like Media and Entertainment
Traditionally, apprenticeships have been associated with manufacturing sector and the designated list of trades. However, NAPS opens up the scheme to the services sector and provides for listing optional trades that are typical to a particular industry. With this provision, the entertainment industry could enlist job roles that are specific to them and new roles that are evolving due to digital technologies.
Being a dynamic sector, Media and Entertainment sector will always needs professionals who are appropriately skilled and highly productive. We invite industry members to engage apprenticeships and write to us for any help and information at  info@mescindia.org
