Various state governments and industry players have committed to engage seven lakh apprentices for the ongoing fiscal, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The commitments were made during the 15-day Apprenticeship Pakhwada programme which ended on Wednesday, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) said in a statement.
In 2016, the government had introduced comprehensive reforms to the Apprenticeship Act, 1961, a move that saw about 7.5 lakh apprentices engaged in a span of two-and-a-half years.
"In the 15 days of the Pakhwada, the industry has committed to engage 4.5 lakh more apprentices with states committing another 2.5 lakh apprentices.
"MSDE has pledged Rs 560 crore to state governments to promote demand-driven and industry-linked skill development and signed 22 MoUs with various states through Third Party Aggregators (TPAs)," the statement said.
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As many as eight PSUs, including Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), Cochin Shipyard, Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), International Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), committed to train about 35,000 apprentices.
Additionally, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Mumbai to train solar technicians for sustainable energy sector.
"Apprenticeship can provide hands-on training to candidates and provide a better industry exposure to help them gain confidence in a working environment. New job roles will need new skill sets and it is therefore important to inspire the youth to equip themselves with industry-relevant skill sets," Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey was quoted as saying in the statement.
The government, he said, is working towards creating a demand-driven model that caters to both industry needs as well as the youth to enable them with the skills necessary for jobs of the future.
The minister asked the stakeholders to pledge to make apprenticeship a pathway for the creation of a strong and stable workforce, which he said is extremely important for India to become a USD 5-trillion economy.
On September 30, Pandey had launched the Apprenticeship Pakhwada in Delhi, announcing the need to promote awareness about apprenticeship training among establishments and employers across manufacturing and service sectors, the statement said.
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