Minimum monthly stipend set at Rs. 9,000 for graduates and Rs. 8,000 for diploma holders
LUCKNOW, Aug 20 (The CONNECT) – The UP Chief Minister’s Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (Higher Education), which was launched to provide hands-on training to graduates and diploma holders, has seen over 35,000 candidates register so far in the financial year 2024-25.
Approximately 2,753 are currently engaged in apprenticeships.
Its main objective is to motivate the maximum number of youth for apprentice training while preparing a large, highly-skilled workforce for industries and establishments.
The scheme provides apprenticeship training for graduates and diploma holders, with programmes lasting between 6 months and a year. The scheme guarantees a minimum monthly stipend of Rs. 9,000 for graduates and Rs. 8,000 for diploma holders throughout their training period.
The financial support is provided to the trainees jointly by the central and state governments as well as the entrepreneurs. For graduates, the central government provides Rs. 4,500, while the entrepreneurs contribute Rs. 3,500, and the state government adds Rs. 1,000, all of which are directly transferred to the trainee’s bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Similarly, for diploma holders, the central government offers Rs. 4,000, ensuring significant support for the trainees.
The implementation is tracked through a dedicated dashboard on the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) portal, ensuring transparency and efficiency. The scheme is being rolled out across various sectors through 21 departments of the Uttar Pradesh government, with a specific focus on Medical, Health, MSME, Retail, and Education sectors in FY 2024-25. By providing a list of industries and establishments, five departments of the state government are actively involved in the on-ground execution of the scheme.
Despite the challenges, the scheme has made noteworthy progress. In FY 2024-25, there are now 858 registered industries, up from 826 in the previous year. The number of available training seats has also increased to 40,297, indicating the growing participation of industries in the program. Additionally, the state government has been proactive in encouraging more establishments to join the initiative, as evidenced by the 62 newly registered establishments and 380 newly added training seats.
To further enhance the scheme’s reach and impact, the Yogi government has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Industry Association (IIA). This collaboration aims to bring more industries on board and create more training opportunities for youth. Moreover, state-level nodal officers have been nominated in five departments, ensuring streamlined coordination and implementation of CMAPS.
In addition to industry outreach, the Yogi government has focused on building awareness within academic institutions. A series of awareness programs have been organized for principals of universities and higher education institutions across the state since last month . These meetings, held in Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, and Gorakhpur Universities, are designed to ensure that educational leaders are well-informed about CMAPS and can guide their students towards these valuable opportunities. The awareness programs will continue till September this year.
