Shinde's government rains ₹10k crore sops on new apprenticeship scheme

Class 12/ HSC pass outs, diploma holders and degree holders can apply to train as apprentices in industrial, non-industrial, government establishments

Mumbai: The state government has tweaked the ‘Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karyaprashikshan Yojana’, the apprenticeship scheme announced in the state budget on June 28, effectively enlarging the pool of unemployed youth who can sign up for the scheme and designating stipends according to the qualification of candidates.

Job seekers who are class 12 pass will receive ₹6,000, diploma holders will get ₹8,000, and those with a bachelor’s degree will get ₹10,000, Shinde said. (Praful Gangurde/ HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

Alluding to the scheme, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday told reporters, “Some people said that ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’ (for women) has been launched; what about ‘Ladka Bhau’ (beloved brother)? We are now announcing a scheme for Ladka Bhau where job seekers who are class 12 pass will receive ₹6,000, diploma holders will get ₹8,000, and those with a bachelor’s degree will get ₹10,000. They will receive this stipend from the government during their on-job training in the industry,” Shinde told reporters.

Sources in the chief minister’s office clarified that Shinde was in fact not referring to a new scheme, but the tweaked version of apprenticeship scheme announced in the state budget on June 28.

According to a government resolution issued by the skill, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation department on July 9, class 12/ HSC pass outs, diploma holders and degree holders can apply to train as apprentices in industrial, non-industrial, government and semi-government establishments. The scheme, which aims to train 10 lakh youth every year, was earlier limited to degree holders.

The period of the apprenticeship would be six months and the stipend would vary according to educational qualification, the GR states. Applicants who have completed their class 12 or HSC would receive ₹6,000 per month, diploma holders would receive ₹8,000 per month and degree holders would receive ₹10,000 per month as stipend. Candidates who complete the apprenticeship would be given a certificate from the establishment after six months, and establishments would be free to hire candidates for a further period.

Interested candidates will have to register on the website of the skill, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation department. They should be aged 18 to 35 years, be domiciled in the state, and their Aadhaar must be linked with their bank account, said a senior official from the skill, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation department.

Establishments interested in hiring apprentices under the scheme will also have to register with the department’s website. They should have completed at least three years in service and must have all requisite documents and certifications, said officials.

The intake capacity of establishments under the scheme is limited to 5% of the staff for government and semi-government bodies, 10% for industries, and 20% for the service sector, the officials added.

The scheme, expected to cost ₹10,000 crore a year to the state exchequer, is expected to tackle rising unemployment and help the government counter the opposition’s charge about doing nothing to provide jobs to unemployed youth. It is also expected to enhance support for the ruling coalition among the youth in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.