Minister of Employment, Technical Education & Training (E&TE&T) Pratap Kesari Deb has warned the industries which are showing little interest in providing apprenticeship training in the workplace.
Chairing a meeting of the State Apprenticeship Council (SAC) constituted by the Government under the provisions of Apprenticeship Act’1961, Deb said training imparted in ITIs and ITCs alone is not sufficient for acquisition of skills and should be supplemented by training in the actual workplace through hand-on practice.
The Apprenticeship Act, which was enacted in the Parliament with an objective to streamline apprenticeship training needs wholehearted implementation by all the industries and other stakeholders coming under the purview of the Act, said Deb.
The SAC, which met after a lapse of eight years, took stock of the worrying situation arising out of the shortfall in engagement of apprentices in the State-sector establishments. E&ET&T Secretary CS Kumar, E&ET&T Director Hemant Sharma, AT Deputy Director General TC Saravanabava and DGE&T, New Delhi, Director of Apprenticeship Training Dinesh Nijhawan attended the meeting.
It was revealed that despite a move to bridge the growing gap between industries and ITI/ITC, there is mismatch in available manpower and engagement by industries. With the facility for 90,343 trainees in both private and Government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), the number of aspirants for apprenticeship training has increased manifolds. In order to satisfy the need of the aspirants, concerted efforts by industries and these training centers is needed, said Deb.
It was shocking to find out during a survey conducted in 51 newly-set up industries to locate apprenticeship training seats by taking into account the number of regular workers’ strength that hardly 574 seats are available in these industries as they are carrying out production activities by contractors.
Industries were urged to engage more Trade Apprentices (ITI Trained and Diploma Holders) in their establishments and provide them training at workplace. Deb mentioned that the National Vocational Training System (NVTS) comprises Craftsman Training in ITIs /ITCs and Apprenticeship Training in industries. The semiskilled craftsmen coming out from the ITI/ITC should be exposed to the world of works during the period of training through the process of earning while learning.
Earning in the form of ‘Stipend to the Apprentices’, as prescribed under the Act, should be relooked by GoI/MolE and should be at par with minimum wages applicable to the skilled workers.
The issues like raising the rate of stipend with reimbursement of 50 per cent cost by DGE&T, allocation of 20 per cent more seats in apprenticeship establishments like MSMEs, private industries, PSUs both in State and Central sector, redefining workers designation to take care of the contractual/outsourced employees under the Act, action against errant establishments as per the provisions of the Act, apprenticeship training provisions for women, physically challenged and training in the second and third shifts were discussed at the SAC meeting.