DFID organizes Apprenticeship Training (NAPS) workshop for industry in Gujarat

As part of Government of India’s dissemination efforts, a workshop on National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) was organised by DFID on 13th March 2018, with the technical support of FICCI for promotion and adoption of Apprenticeship Training.

A host of CEOs, founders, HR heads and senior managers from more than 40 leading organisations across automobile, oil and gas, infrastructure, pharma and IT sectors were present at the workshop. Representatives from companies like ONGC, Tata Motors, Apollo Hospitals, Sintex, Grasim Industries – Aditya Birla Group, Honda, Adani Ports, Aegis, British Council among many others attended the workshop.

Mr Geoff Wain, British Deputy High Commissioner, Gujarat, India, was the chief guest at the workshop. He said “Apprenticeships are an important and a traditional way of imparting skills training for plugging the skills gap faced by the industry. The recent steps taken by the Government of India in promoting apprenticeships will provide good results. The National Apprenticeships Promotion Scheme is one such step in that direction.”

Explaining NAPS in detail, Mr. Dinesh Nijhawan, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, GoI said, “Our NAPS scheme is two-pronged which gives practical training to youth and links them to available jobs in the market. The financial assistance to the industries propels a growth trajectory for apprenticeship training.”

Addressing the industries, Mr. Karun Verma, Head-HR/ER, ONGC, “In the year 2017-18, we (
ONGC) have engaged 5250 apprentices. Benefits to industry for engaging apprentices are access to full time man power, it is cost-effective as there is no bonus, PF, etc. and incentives provided by the government for engaging apprentices.”

The DFID Technical Assistance Team organised an interactive group activity where the audience summarised the key challenges, experiences and recommendations which were shared with the government.

The NAPS workshop is part of a series of workshops to be conducted across industry clusters surrounding major cities targeting the private sector to promote NAPS and help them fill the skill gap in their workforce.

Apprenticeship Training

The National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, focuses on apprenticeship as one of the key programs for creating skilled manpower in India.

The Apprentices Act, as amended in 2014, makes provision for training of apprentices by Industry/ employers/ organisations across all sectors.Government of India has sanctioned INR 10,000 crores over the next four years to provide financial incentives to the employers for engagement of apprentices.

Department for International Development (DFID), Government of UK is supporting the roll out of NAPS as a part of its technical collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). FICCI is supporting the ministry in popularising the NAPS by targeting the industrial clusters and addressing their apprenticeship related issues.