National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)

What is the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme?

The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) is a Central Sector scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship that promotes apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act, 1961. NAPS was launched on 19 August 2016 and has been running in its second phase, NAPS-2, since FY 2022-23.

According to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, under NAPS-2 the government shares part of the apprentice's stipend: limited to 25 percent of the prescribed minimum stipend, subject to a maximum of Rs 1,500 per apprentice per month during the training period, and that share is disbursed directly to the apprentice's bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer.

Apprenticeship training under the Act has two parts: a basic training component of classroom and laboratory instruction, and on-the-job training at the workplace. Basic training is compulsory only for fresher apprentices who have had no prior institutional training.

Key objectives

• Promote apprenticeship training across all sectors, manufacturing and service.
• Give establishments, especially MSMEs, financial support so that engaging apprentices is affordable.
• Give young people paid, structured, industry-based training that leads into employment.

Main features

• Government share of stipend: 25 percent, capped at Rs 1,500 per month, paid by DBT to the apprentice.
• Governed by the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992.
• Apprentices engaged under NAPS in calendar year 2025: 11.84 lakh.
• Establishments including MSMEs engaged under NAPS-2: 25,423.
• Employers are exempt from EPF and ESI contributions for apprentices.

Who is eligible for NAPS?

You can become an apprentice if:

• You have completed 14 years of age: 18 years in the case of hazardous industries as defined under the Apprenticeship Rules.
• You are a minimum of Class 5 pass for an optional trade, and hold the educational or technical qualification prescribed in the curriculum for the trade you want.
• You meet the physical fitness standard for the course.
• You are registered on the apprenticeship portal and have an Aadhaar number, or a Unique Identification Number if you are from Jammu and Kashmir or the North-East.

ITI pass-outs, diploma holders, graduates, pass-outs of NSQF-aligned courses such as PMKVY and DDU-GKY, dual-learning mode ITI trainees, and candidates pursuing graduation or a diploma are exempt from basic training and go straight to on-the-job training. Fresher apprentices must complete basic training first, and during that period the establishment pays 50 percent of the prescribed stipend.

You cannot apply if:

• You are under 14 years of age, or under 18 for a hazardous industry trade.
• You do not have the minimum Class 5 pass or the trade-specific qualification laid down in the curriculum.
• You want to be engaged by an establishment with a workforce of 3 or fewer; such establishments are not permitted to engage apprentices.
• You are looking for permanent employment. An apprentice is a trainee under a contract of apprenticeship and is not a regular employee; EPF and ESI do not apply.

Which establishments can engage apprentices?

An establishment with a total strength of 100, for example, must engage a minimum of 3 and may engage a maximum of 15 apprentices.

What documents are required for NAPS?

How to apply for NAPS as a candidate

1. Open the official portal at apprenticeshipindia.gov.in and choose the candidate registration option under Get Started.
2. Register with your Aadhaar number, mobile number and email, and complete OTP verification.
3. Fill your profile: education, trade preference, sector, location and bank account details.
4. Use Course Search on the portal to find apprenticeship opportunities posted by establishments in your sector, trade and region.
5. Send applications to the establishments whose openings match your profile.
6. Accept the offer letter when an establishment issues one to you online.
7. Sign the contract of apprenticeship online with the establishment. The apprenticeship is deemed to commence on the date the contract is entered into and registered on the portal.
8. Complete basic training if you are a fresher apprentice, then the on-the-job training at the workplace, and appear for the final assessment.

Registration on the portal is free. The Candidate User Manual under the "Get Started" option on the portal walks through each screen.

How to register an establishment under NAPS

1. Visit apprenticeshipindia.gov.in and register the establishment online, following the Establishment User Manual.
2. Notify apprenticeship opportunities on the portal, specifying trade, number of seats and location.
3. Search and shortlist candidates by sector, trade and region.
4. Issue offer letters to selected candidates through the portal.
5. Sign the contract of apprenticeship online once the candidate accepts.
6. Submit the contract for approval by the respective Joint Apprenticeship Adviser or State Apprenticeship Adviser.
7. Pay the monthly stipend to each apprentice as prescribed under the Apprenticeship Rules, and file the claim on the portal.

For an establishment to draw NAPS benefits, the contracts must be uploaded for approval by the concerned apprenticeship adviser, the courses run must be NSQF-aligned, and the end-of-programme assessment must be done jointly with NCVT for designated trades or the relevant Sector Skill Council for optional trades.

How much does an apprentice earn under NAPS?

The apprentice is paid the prescribed minimum stipend by the establishment. Of that, the government reimburses 25 percent up to Rs 1,500 per apprentice per month, and under NAPS-2 pays that share directly to the apprentice by DBT.

The 38th meeting of the Central Apprenticeship Council on 26 May 2025 recommended a 36 percent increase in stipend, which would revise the stipend range from the existing Rs 5,000-Rs 9,000 to Rs 6,800-Rs 12,300, with future revisions linked to the Consumer Price Index. The Council also recommended that stipend amounts vary by location to reflect local cost-of-living differences.

Two further points on money matter to apprentices:

• During basic training, the establishment pays 50 percent of the prescribed stipend.
• Under the North-Eastern Region pilot launched on 20 May 2025, an NER candidate doing an apprenticeship outside their domicile state gets an additional incentive of up to Rs 1,500 per month over and above the regular government share.

The apprenticeship FAQ published for the scheme also describes support for the cost of basic training, up to Rs 7,500 per apprentice for a maximum of 500 hours at Rs 15 an hour, paid to Basic Training Providers for fresher apprentices who come without any formal training.

What certificate do you get after an apprenticeship?

Apprentices who successfully complete training receive:

• The National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) for designated trades under NAPS.
• The Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) for optional trades.

The government has additionally issued letters treating the apprenticeship training period as work experience for ITI graduates under NAPS, useful when applying for a first full-time job.

Does an apprenticeship lead to a job?

NAPS does not guarantee employment. The third-party evaluation of NAPS-2 by the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management found that around 72 percent of apprentices surveyed reported receiving offers of full-time employment after completing their apprenticeship training.

Participation has grown steadily. Apprentices engaged under NAPS rose from 3.08 lakh in FY 2020-21 to 9.85 lakh in FY 2024-25, and women apprentices rose from 0.56 lakh to 2.25 lakh over the same period. Participation is strongest in 13 sectors including automotive, BFSI, electrical, electronics, IT/ITeS, life sciences, logistics, production and manufacturing, retail, rubber, education, healthcare and tourism.

Help and grievance redressal

• NAPS helpline: 1800-123-9626, published on apprenticeshipindia.gov.in.
• Apprenticeship portal; raise queries through the helpdesk section after logging in.
• State Apprenticeship Adviser or Joint Apprenticeship Adviser for contract registration and stipend claim disputes. Regional Directorates of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship operate from Chennai, Kanpur, Kolkata and Mumbai, with more regional boards recommended by the Central Apprenticeship Council.

Registration under NAPS is free for both candidates and establishments. No agent is authorised to charge for securing an apprenticeship seat, and stipend support reaches the apprentice's own bank account by DBT.