The NAPS scheme stands for the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme which is nothing but the brainchild of the Government of India to boost the number of the skilled workforce of the country by amplifying the number of apprentices in various industrial sectors; by near future. This program was conceived under the auspices of the Indian Government and was put into effect since the 19th of August, 2016.
Primary objectives behind the implementation of NAPS :
- Making good use of the demographic dividend while it lasts till 2040
- Increasing the number of employable and skilled youths to at least 50 lakhs per year till 2020
- Fostering productivity and growth of the organizations by delivering them employable and skilled apprentices who might grow into successful and responsible professionals in the future.
Reasons why NAPS is beneficial to the young engineers of India :
The Government of India has been intent on adding apprenticeship-based end-of-degree programs and linking them with higher education institutions as well as restructuring the Bachelor’s program in vocational courses to include the apprenticeship module.
Those candidates who are in their final or their penultimate year of study in various streams of engineering can benefit a lot from the NAPS program.
- Improving their trade: Assuming that the students of engineering institutions get the requisite theoretical and practical know-how for pursuing their aspiration in their desired disciplines; NAPS arrives with a lot of inherent benefits. The NAPS curriculum comprises of Basic Training and On-The-Job Training. The Basic training furnishes the primary theoretical knowledge and skill whereas On-The-Job training equips the candidates with the practical knowledge and the intricacies of the trade. Generally, Basic Training is provided at BTCs or Basic Training Centres whereas On-the-Job Training is provided at industrial organizations which can be the prospective workplaces to the graduate engineers. Therefore the students are armored with the requisite skills and dexterities that will prove instrumental in refining their practical and field knowledge. This will also ensure that they are groomed into becoming smart and responsible professionals.
- Industrial interface: Different Public Sector Undertakings of the Centre as well as the State and Private Sector Establishments which house the necessary infrastructure and tools are responsible for imparting practical knowledge and providing on-the-job training. Thus the young engineers get exposure and hands-on knowledge on how the organizations hailing from different industrial sectors operate. This industrial interface becomes extremely helpful in molding the perfect professionals in the future who are aware of their roles and responsibilities.
- Apprenticeship stipends: The NAPS program includes the provision of stipends for the young engineers and other candidates undergoing the training. 25% of the stipend, up to a maximum of Rs. 1500/ month is paid by the Government to the industrial bodies who employ apprentices in their designated roles. The rest of the stipend will be provided by the Rs. 10000 crore corpus of the National Apprenticeship Scheme. Reimbursement of the entire valuation of basic training (which extends upto a limit of Rs. 7500/- for a maximum of 500 hours over a duration of 3 months) would be provided by the Government of India to the bodies which provide Basic Training to candidates.
- Ensuring placement: The need to worry about being placed in the desired professional sector will be over for young engineers because the National Career Service Portal will be linked with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship which will display the apprenticeship and employment status of the candidates. The waitlist will automatically get updated once the students find their fitting jobs.
Thus the NAPS is going to enhance the condition of the young engineers of India and in turn, take the nation forward in their stride.
