To make apprenticeship programmes more attractive for youth, the Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC), chaired by Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, has proposed a 36% hike in stipends under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS). The revised stipend range will move from ₹5,000–₹9,000 to ₹6,800–₹12,300, with biennial revisions based on CPI, subject to Cabinet approval.
Held at VigyanBhawan, the 38th CAC meeting also emphasized inclusivity, proposing reserved training slots for persons with benchmark disabilities and measures to reduce dropout rates. The council backed apprenticeship-embedded education, sectoral expansion using NIC 2008 code, and digital training methods.
For Guwahati, a regional industrial and educational hub, the revised stipend and structural reforms are likely to boost apprenticeship enrolment among urban and semi-urban youth. The new policy could attract more MSMEs and academic institutions in Assam to join the national skilling ecosystem, creating better employment opportunities locally. The meeting also featured the launch of a KPMG report on NAPS data and saw participation from key industry bodies, academic institutions, and government representatives. The recommendations aim to align apprenticeship with India’s development goals under ‘Kushal Bharat, Viksit Bharat’.