Apprenticeship Program (NETAP)
National Employability Through Apprenticeship Program (NETAP) is a Public Private Partnership of Ministry of Skill Development Entrepreneurship,
TeamLease Skills University, CII, and NSDC under the National Employability Enhancement Mission of the Ministry of HRD (AICTE).
It will help unemployed youth to build skills through Learning by doing and Learning while earning along with providing them with access to practical skills.
NETAP proposes to appoint 2 lac apprentices every year for the next 10 years. At peak capacity, it will be the world's largest
apprenticeship program. It is structured to overcome the current challenges of the Apprenticeship Act. A NETAP apprenticeship
qualifies for credit towards certificates/diplomas/degrees offered online by Teamlease Skills University (TLSU).
CONTEXT
- Youth Unemployability is a growing challenge because 10 lac youth will enter the labour force every month for the next 20 years
- Apprentices are a powerful vehicle for improving employability because of learning-by-doing and learning-while-earning
- India has only 3 lac apprentices (Germany has 3 million, Japan has 10 million, and China has 20 million)
- India has only 25,000 employers appointing apprentices. UK has 2 lac and one state of Australia (Queensland) has 26,000.
- The Apprentice Act of 1961 mandates that every employer appoint apprentices but it is rigid, unevenly implemented, and ineffective
NETAP
- A Public Private Partnership of Teamlease Skills University, CII, and NSDC under the National Employability Enhancement Mission of the Ministry of HRD (AICTE)
- Structured to overcome the current challenges of the Apprenticeship Act
- A NETAP apprenticeship qualifies for credit towards certificates/diplomas/degrees offered online by Teamlease Skills University (TLSU)
- Proposes to appoint 2 lac apprentices every year for the next 10 years. At peak capacity, it will be the world's largest apprenticeship program
CASE FOR EMPLOYERS
- Building a pipeline for bottom of pyramid hiring
- Clear legal structure to take candidates for a test drive with no obligation to hire
- Possible lower attrition given apprenticeship credit and degree connectivity
- Single window for national compliance
- Stipends paid qualify as CSR spend; do well and do good
- Trainees can be appointed for flexible durations of 3 to 24 months
- Trainees can be appointed in any trade or function at any location in India
- Trainees are paid a consolidate stipend with no deductions that must at least be equal to the applicable unskilled minimum wage (it can be higher)
- All trainees will be enrolled in a free 200 hour online course for soft skills, English and computers. They can further enroll voluntarily or via the employer for other TLSU certificate/diploma/associate degree courses delivered online
OPERATING STRUCTURE
- All trainees will be enrolled as students of Teamlease Skills University
- TLSU will sign an agreement with the employer for the payment of stipends (pass through to candidate), an administrative fee (to meet costs for the non-profit operation that will decline with scale) and providing training slots
- The employer will receive a single invoice for stipend amounts and service charges every month
- TLUS will provide trainees with a unique id number, a call centre in 13 languages, a web portal, and handle all regulatory filings
- At the end of the training period, the employer will have the first right to hire the candidate else he or she will return to TLSU
TeamLease Skills University (TLSU) envisions striving towards workforce productivity, socioeconomic development and
social harmony through educational, training and research programs. While formulating its operational model,
TLSU has contemplated on the socioeconomic context of Gujarat, the exigencies of the globalized competition and suitability of
tertiary education varieties. TLSU seeks to address the gaps in Indian higher education system in relation to curricular irrelevance,
graduate unemployability, low esteem for skill based programs and apathy to the informal workforce. Respecting the spirit of national
documents in the higher education area, TLSU holds its educational purpose of facilitating skill inculcation and community enrichment
through traditional and non-traditional programs focusing on basic, vocational, professional, technical and life skill domains.
Apart from catering to the educational needs of 18-23 year olds drawn from the academic streams of secondary education system,
efforts will be taken for opening higher education/training avenues for the pass-outs/teachers of Industrial Training Institutes
(ITIs), Vocational Higher Secondary Schools (VHSSs) and Polytechnics that could underpin the respective streams.
The formal and informal sectors of the employed category will be provided skill upgrade options through credential based educational
programs and non-credit oriented training programs. Non-formal pedagogy will be deployed for community enrichment programs.
TLSU will endeavor to fulfill the objects enshrined in Gujarat Private Universities Act, 2009 and focus on the following aspects:
- To contribute to workforce productivity, socioeconomic development and social harmony through academic, research, training and extension programs;
- To offer basic, vocational, technical and professional programs with employers at the heart of curricular processes and technology at the heart of operations;
- To incorporate flexible approach and enhanced access through modular curriculum, blended delivery mode, adaptive instructional timing and extended entry level criteria;
- To support job placement and promote career progression;
- To facilitate enhanced wage employment for the informal sector;
- To deliver life skills programs for community enrichment;
- To fortify the educational systems in ITIs, VHSSs and Polytechnics;
- To foster two-way relationship with the employer groups;
- To collaborate with Governments of Gujarat and India, industry, and academic institutions in India and abroad for ensuring relevance and quality in educational and life-enrichment programs.
Apprenticeship gaining momentum
Visit us at www.netap.in
