Apprentices may get 30% higher stipend as central council proposes major hike
To support skill development and stop dropout among apprentices, the Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC) on Monday recommended increasing monthly stipends by 30% under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS).The proposal was made during the 38th CAC meeting, which was chaired by Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The proposal is to enhance the attractiveness and economically feasible nature of the apprenticeship programme among students, especially considering rising living expenses.advertisementUpon approval, the stipend range will rise from the current Rs 5,000 - Rs9,000 to Rs 6,800 - Rs 12,300. This move will be a relief for technical as well as non-technical apprentices, providing greater economic support and motivation for completing their training.
Worth mentioning, the stipend will also be revised based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), leading to automatic revision after each two years based on inflation and pay cycles.BRIDGING THE GLOBAL APPRENTICESHIP GAPThe minister noted that India's apprenticeship engagement percentage is a paltry 0.27%, far from 4% in developed nations. The hike in stipends is among the steps being taken to bridge this gap and promote industry participation.In PM-NAPS, over 43.47 lakh apprentices have been trained across 36 states and UTs with 20% participation by women. Likewise, the NATS scheme has onboarded 5.23 lakh graduate and diploma apprentices in 2024-25 alone.advertisementThe CAC also thought of expanding Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDPs), where classroom learning is combined with formal on-the-job training, making students more job-ready compared to regular degrees.Other reforms include merging the vocational training through the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) with apprenticeship for improved academic and industrial transition for students.Stipend revision final approval is pending as of now.
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