On 12 August, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, launched Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), as per the official release.
This measure marks a key milestone towards achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making skilling a self-seeking endeavour, along with promoting the concept of earning while learning, as pictured in the National Education Policy (NEP).
Approximately Rs. 15 crore were expended to one lakh learners as part of the DBT launch. This initiative is anticipated to drive greater participation from both industries and young individuals in apprenticeship training on a nationwide scale.
A total of 25 lakh youth have enrolled in apprenticeship programs under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme since its inception in 2016 until July 31, 2023.
In its release, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “The initiative has garnered momentum, leading to a remarkable increase in the number of active establishments participating in apprenticeship training, growing from 6,755 in 2018-19 to an impressive 40,655 in 2023-24.”
At the event launch, Dharmendra Pradhan talked with industry clusters and enthusiastic apprentices from various states including Telangana, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh.
The launch was inaugurated by a Chintan Shivir on “Enhancing Apprenticeship Engagement,” which focused on enhancing the adoption of apprenticeship programs across all sectors.
The release further said, “The key achievements of the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme include the successful completion of training by approximately 2.6 lakh apprentices in the fiscal year 2023-24. The number of women apprentices has notably increased, rising from 22,427 in 2018-19 to 1.48 lakh in FY 2022-23, reflecting a nearly 7-fold increase over five years.”
