PANAJI
Companies and establishments which carry out shop-floor training programmes on the job for Goan youth will get government support now.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said: "The government will support establishments to implement on-job training programmes under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) or even earn while you learn modules."
Sawant, who a few months ago introduced the 'Chief Minister's Apprenticeship Policy' said it will empower youth by enhancing their skills and giving them exposure to industry. Industries, he said, are actively engaging in the apprenticeship programme, which he said will also eventually benefit from the contribution of the youth.
The apprenticeship programme gains significance as the State government has made an apprenticeship certificate compulsory to be eligible for government jobs. The chief minister appealed to Goan youth who have cleared their Class XII or completed an ITI course or even graduated with an undergraduate degree to register on the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) portal for the programme.
"Thousands of youth have already availed of the benefits of the scheme and are currently undergoing apprenticeship training both in government departments as well as in private industries and establishments," he added.
The NAPS aims to develop a skilled workforce for the Indian economy by promoting on-the-job experiential training and to encourage establishments to enrol apprentices by partially sharing the burden of the stipend. It hopes to upskill the country's human resource and also encourage enrolment of apprentices in small establishments especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
