NAPS is an abbreviated form of the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme. This was a project conceptualized by the Indian Government to provide apprenticeship programs for individuals who aspired to make a mark in the industry.
The NAPS scheme has been developed keeping in mind the mutual facilitation of the industries as well. The industries would be also able to employ apprentices in their operations as per their requirements.
This would not only lead to the number of apprentices in the country, but these individuals would ultimately develop into skilled professionals. They would finally become an asset to a particular organization.
NAPS: An introduction :
The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, better known as NAPS is a brainchild of the Government of India. It was conceptualized by the authoritative supremacy of the country to promote apprenticeship and was implemented officially on the 19th of August, 2016.
Objectives :
- The government of India had a particular objective in mind when they looked to launch this scheme. The primary aim was to boost the number of apprentices. This could only be achieved by promoting apprenticeship training programs all across the country. More the number of apprenticeship programs, more desired and hopefuls would enroll themselves in this kind of mentorship scheme. The emergents would be eligible in performing as apprentices in various sectors of the industry.
- If the skilled workforce who have the advantage of providing operation related support in any industry, without actually being an employee of the organization; then it is fruitful for the organization itself. The organization would thus increase the involvement of skilled apprentices providing much lower remunerations. This would augment the financial bottom line of the company, simultaneously boosting its productivity.
Because of this demand-supply relationship, the number of companies or organizations that would invest in such apprentices would increase in a similar fashion. The increase in the number of successful apprentices would positively stimulate the number of startups and potentially big organizations to proliferate.
- The Government of India has also released a staggering data. The present number of apprentices employed in different sections of the industry amounts merely to 2.3 lakhs.
India is a country, currently on the verge of rising on various platforms, is enjoying a demographic dividend till 2040. Within this period, the number of employable and skilled youths would rise and their salaries would cause a huge boost in the national economy.
But the number of skilled apprentices currently working makes the computations extremely difficult. Therefore, the primary target of the NAPS program is to increase the number of dextrous apprentices to at least 50 lakhs by 2020.
The target is huge indeed and the time period to implement as well as execute the program to its ultimate results; is too narrow. As a result, NAPS training programs are sprouting extremely fast and producing the required apprentices.
Apprenticeship training programs :
The apprenticeship training programs can be broadly classified into two categories.
- Basic training: This is that part of apprenticeship training that primarily imparts theoretical knowledge and skill. These can be done in BTCs or Basic Training Centres which have been established by the organizations or employers in concern. The primary requisite for providing this is the possession of the pertinent infrastructure and amenities.
These are also provided at institutions set up by the Government itself as well as various ITIs which aim at promoting skills. - On the job training: On the job training is the practical training that an individual working as an apprentice, would receive at the workplace itself. This would provide them with hands-on knowledge of how organizations operate. The employer of the organizer should mandatorily possess the requisite infrastructure and tools to provide the necessary training.
The programs offer the flexibility of employing any individual who is above 14 years of age, is physically able and has a minimum knowledge of the particular trade, which is just one amongst all those encompassed by the training. Hence the number of apprentices is predicted to rise in a towering fashion. The success of NAPS, if achieved, would push forward the status of India as an economically strong nation.
