As per the outlook report of National Employability through Apprenticeship Program (NETAP), India’s largest degree apprenticeship programme by TeamLease Skills University which is India’s first vocational skills university, it has come to light that the overall recruitment of apprentices across India has witnessed a significant surge amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In the financial year of 2020-21, hiring has increased by 35 percent.
Between April 21 and June 24, recruitment has risen by an estimated 40%, especially across major sectors such as healthcare & pharmaceuticals, ITeS, BFSI, eCommerce among others.
Additionally, the average stipend pay-out per apprentice has improved by 18% over the past few years. NETAP has disbursed a stipend worth Rs 2700 crore since 2014.
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“Our journey at TeamLease so far has made us realise that in India, lack of job opportunities was not a major issue, but the dearth in skilled talent,” opined Vice President at TeamLease Skills University, Sumit Kumar. Sharing his views on the trajectory of the NETAP programme Kumar said, “One of the most effective methods to advocate this problem is apprenticeship. Both the perception and acceptance for this model traditionally were not very high.
“With our constant efforts, associating apprenticeship with higher education and offering degree apprenticeships, we have come this far today,” he added. “Not only have candidates become more forthcoming towards apprentices, but also firms have consistently increased their apprentice recruitment as they have understood the merits of this model to build a strong talent pipeline for the coming days,” he said.
The apprenticeship route has also helped aspiring candidates to pave their way into formal employment. 95 percent of the certified apprentices are today informal employees, 40% out of which are being absorbed by the same recruiters with the ones the candidates had undergone apprenticeships.
“In addition to this, a majority of these apprentices are today earning an average of 45% premium on their wages because they have advanced their skill expertise through the apprenticeship route,” said Kumar.
