Apprenticeship training for designated trades and optional trades

Designated trades and optional trades

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) implements the Apprenticeship Programme in India under the Apprentices Act 1961 at the national level. The MSDE has entrusted the Directorate General of Training (DGT) to implement the apprenticeship training falling under ”Designated Trades” category and made the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) responsible for implementation of 3 apprenticeship training under “Optional Trades”. DGT through its Regional Directorates of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (RDSDE) is implementing Apprenticeship Training for designated trades.

Designated Trades

The trades notified by the government are called as “Designated trades”. Apprenticeship courses under designated trades are designed and developed by the Central Staff training and Research Institute, Kolkata (CSTARI) and approved by the Central Apprenticeship Council & National Council for Vocational Training.There are at present 261 such courses notified.

Some examples of the designated trades are as follows:

Optional Trades

The trades which are not included in the notified list of the “Designated Trades” but opted as a Trade/Course to be run under the Apprentice ship act by an establishment are referred to as “Optional Trades”. Optional trades have been introduced under the Apprentices Act, 1961 to allow employers to create their own courses/trades for providing training to apprentices. It is any trade or occupation or any subject field in engineering or non engineering or technology or any vocational course as may be determined by the employer for the purposes of the Apprentice Act, 1961. As per Rule 7A(6) an employer is required to upload the syllabi and duration of the Optional trade on the Apprenticeship portal.

“Optional Trade” gives more flexibility to establishments to create courses as per their requirements in the manufacturing, services, trade or any other sector. This has also opened up opportunities to non-engineering graduates in fields such as B.A, B.Com., B.Sc., (including those pursuing such courses) and 10+2 pass outs from social sciences/commerce or those who have completed NSQF aligned short terms courses, and fresh apprentices from among those who are class V pass & above to enroll under apprenticeship training programmes and become industry ready.

Some examples of the designated trades are as follows: