Govt to hold apprenticeship fair for youth in 197 districts on Monday

New Delhi: The government will hold Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela on Monday (December 12) across 197 locations in 25 states and Union territories, in line with its vision to boost career opportunities for youth under Skill India Mission.

Several local businesses have been invited to be a part of the mela to provide local youth with the opportunity to shape their careers through apprenticeship training. The event will witness the participation of various companies from different sectors, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said in a statement.

Participating companies will have the chance to meet potential apprentices on a single platform and choose applicants on the spot and provide them with an opportunity to be a part of their organisations, it added.  Candidates who have passed Class 5 to Class 12 and have skill training certificates, or ITI Diploma holders or graduates can apply during this apprenticeship mela.  The candidates must carry three copies of their resume, three copies of all the mark sheets and certificates, photo ID (Aadhaar card/driving licence etc) and three passport-size photographs to the respective venues.

Individuals can register for the mela by visiting www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in/and to find the mela's nearest location.  Through this fair, the candidates will also earn National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET)-recognised certifications, improving their employability rate after the training session, the ministry said.  "India has often been compared to other developed economies in terms of apprenticeship opportunities for the youth of today. To bridge this gap, we are trying our best to make apprenticeship opportunities reachable to trainees and students," Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said.  He informed that the major purpose of this programme is to encourage companies to hire more apprentices, while also assisting employers in discovering the right talent and developing their potential via training and practical experience.  "It is also critical to embed apprenticeship in the educational ecosystem besides building credible pathways from apprenticeship to higher education. With our continuous efforts, our goal is to raise apprenticeship opportunities in India to 10 lakhs by 2022-end, and to 60 lakhs by 2026," the secretary said.

Apprenticeship melas are hosted in the country every month, wherein selected individuals receive a monthly stipend in accordance with government criteria for gaining new skills.  Apprenticeship is considered the most sustainable model of skill development, and it has been getting a big boost under Skill India Mission.

The government is striving to train 1 million youth per annum through apprenticeship training and to fulfil this mission, PMNAM is being used as a platform to increase the participation of establishments and students.