15,000 apprentices to be engaged by Haryana govt

About 15,000 apprentices will be engaged by the various departments, boards and corporations of the Haryana government by December 1 under the Centre's National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS).

A sum of Rs 31.64 crore has been allocated by the Finance Department for this purpose, an official spokesperson said.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has directed that the skill development and industrial department would be the nodal department for monitoring engagement of apprentices, he said.

According to the decision taken by the government, all departments are required to engage apprentices to the extent of 10 per cent of their total manpower, including contractual or outsourced employees, working at directorates and in field offices.
 

State departments and state public sector undertakings like universities, boards, corporations, councils, nigams, agencies, municipal corporations and committees are also covered under the Apprenticeship Act, 1961 and they are required to engage apprentices in the prescribed numbers and pay the stipend at the prescribed rates.

During the first year of training, 70 per cent of minimum wages of semi-skilled workers notified by the state will be paid and during the second year of training, it will be 80 per cent of the minimum wages of semi-skilled worker, the spokesperson said.

Similarly, during the third year of training, 90 per cent of minimum wages of semi-skilled workers notified by the state would have to be paid as stipend.

He said that under the NAPS, the government of India would reimburse 25 per cent of the prescribed stipend paid, subject to a maximum of Rs 1,500 per month per apprentice to the employers, for the period of apprenticeship training.

Online registration of establishments and apprentices as well as on the apprenticeship portal is essential for availing of the benefits under NAPS, he added.

Apprentices in the prescribed numbers are required to be engaged by all eligible establishments so as to prevent penal action under the Act.

The Chief Minister would review implementation of the progress of engagement of apprentices by various departments in November, 2017, the spokesman added.