The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) aims to promote apprenticeship training (OJT) in the country, by providing partial stipend support to the apprentices engaged under the Apprentice Act, of 1961, undertaking capacity building of the apprenticeship ecosystem, and providing advocacy assistance to the stakeholders.

The National Apprenticeship Act was launched in the year 1959 at first on a voluntary cause. The Apprentices Act 1961 was presented in the Parliament in 1961 and came into effect on 1st January 1963. The act was eventually amended in 1973 and 1986. In the starting, the Act was meant for the training of trade apprentices.

An apprentice is someone who takes training in company to master the competencies. The Apprenticeship Act explains apprentices are the ones who receive apprenticeship or practical training under an apprenticeship scheme for a specified duration. The main requisites for a person to receive an apprentice training are that he/she should have attained an age of 14 years and for the trades where safety issues are concerned the apprentice should have attained 18 years. Other than the above- prescribed qualification, extra qualifications may be prescribed for special trades and special categories of apprentices.

Eligibility to avail benefits

The minimum age for an apprentice is 14 years, and 18 years for designated trades related to hazardous industries, as per Section 3(a) of the Apprentices Act, 1961.

Apprenticeship training is primarily a transition from academia to the workplace, and therefore, to avail of partial stipend support by the Government, at the time of registration the upper age limit should be 35 years.

Apprenticeship training in India is governed under the Apprentices Act, 1961 (amended up to 2014) and Apprenticeship Rules,1992 (amended up to 2019)

Administering Apprenticeship training was done by the Ministry of Labour & Employment till 2014

Moved to the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE)in 2015.