Maharashtra To Train 1 Lakh Youths Yearly Through Home-District Apprenticeship
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Officials say the decision will not only reduce the burden of relocation but also strengthen the connection between local talent and industries
In a major boost for skill development and employment, Maharashtra's Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has directed that students from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) be provided apprenticeship opportunities within their home districts. This move is expected to help thousands of students gain hands-on experience while staying close to their families.
Officials say the decision will not only reduce the burden of relocation but also strengthen the connection between local talent and industries. Students will now be able to work and earn a stipend through apprenticeship programmes in industries operating in their own regions.
Under the Maharashtra Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, the state aims to train around one lakh candidates every year. Industries with 30 or more employees (including contractual staff) are now required to offer apprenticeship positions equal to 2.5% to 25% of their total workforce.
Currently, the scheme covers 258 designated trades in 27 sectors and 414 optional trades in 35 sectors. In addition, 123 professions under the Maharashtra State Skill Development Examination Board and 20 others in six sectors have also been included. Depending on the trade, apprenticeship duration can range from 6 to 36 months. Both freshers and previously trained candidates will benefit from this initiative.
To ensure quality training, government, semi-government, and private institutions are being encouraged to increase apprenticeship intakes. The curriculum of ITIs is also being reviewed regularly so more trades can be brought under this scheme. As per government norms, institutions offering basic training will receive the necessary reimbursements. Students have already welcomed the move. Many ITI students across the state have expressed satisfaction at getting a chance to learn and work without leaving their hometowns.
Lodha is also actively working to restore apprentice recruitment in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Earlier, about 200 ITI students were appointed annually in BMC departments, but this practice had stopped in recent years. The minister has written to the BMC Commissioner to restart this initiative, and similar efforts are underway in other municipal corporations across the state.
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