National Scheme of Apprenticeship Training (NATS)

What is the National Scheme of Apprenticeship Training?

The National Scheme of Apprenticeship Training (NATS) is a programme of the Ministry of Education that gives young technical graduates practical, on-the-job training in industry. It operates under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the guidelines of the Central Apprenticeship Council, and is delivered through four Regional Boards of Apprenticeship Training (BOATs) located at Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai and Kolkata.

According to the scheme listing on the myScheme portal, NATS places candidates in around 10,000 industrial establishments for a structured one-year apprenticeship. The apprentice works alongside professionals in a real workplace and receives a monthly stipend, half of which is paid by the Central Government and half by the employer.

NATS is designed to close the gap between classroom learning and workplace practice, a graduate engineer or diploma technician gains recognised industry experience that makes them more employable, without the establishment having to treat them as a permanent employee.

Key features

• One-year apprenticeship in industry for technical graduates.
• Monthly stipend shared 50:50 between the Central Government and the employer.
• Around 10,000 establishments participate across the country.
• Administered through four Regional BOATs (Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai, Kolkata).
• Fully online registration and placement at nats.education.gov.in.

Who is eligible for NATS?

You can apply if you are:

• A graduate engineer: holding a degree in engineering or technology.
• A diploma holder (technician): holding a diploma in engineering or technology.
• A 10+2 vocational pass-out: having completed the vocational stream at the 10+2 level.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not hold one of the qualifying certificates above — NATS is for technical graduates, diploma technicians and 10+2 vocational pass-outs only.
• You are looking for a permanent job, NATS is a training scheme, not employment, and it does not guarantee a job at the end.
• You have already completed the same apprenticeship, the one-year training is not meant to be repeated in the same trade.

What stipend does a NATS apprentice receive?

According to the scheme listing on myScheme, the monthly stipend is set by category and shared equally between the Central Government and the employer:

These are the rates recorded on the myScheme listing. Stipend rates under the apprenticeship framework are revised from time to time by the government, so always confirm the current figure on the NATS portal or in the offer from the establishment before accepting a contract.

What documents are required for NATS?

How to apply for a NATS apprenticeship

1. Go to the NATS portal at nats.education.gov.in and register as a student.
2. Complete your profile with basic, educational and contact details, then add your bank details and training preferences.
3. Upload your qualifying degree or diploma certificate, passport-size photograph and bank passbook in the required formats.
4. Browse and apply for apprenticeship opportunities listed by establishments in your field.
5. When an establishment offers a contract, review and accept it through the portal.
6. The Regional Board of Apprenticeship Training (BOAT) approves the contract, and your placement is finalised. The apprenticeship then runs for one year with the monthly stipend paid as scheduled.

Help and contact for NATS

• NATS support email: natssupport@aicte-india.org
• Portal: nats.education.gov.in
• Regional Boards of Apprenticeship Training at Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai and Kolkata handle placements for their respective regions.

Registration on the NATS portal is free. No agent can secure an apprenticeship for you: establishments select candidates directly through the portal, and the Regional Board finalises the contract.