NATS 2.0 portal launched, Rs 100 crore transferred for employment training to graduates and diploma holders

Delhi. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme 2.0 portal in New Delhi and distributed stipends of Rs 100 crore to the trainees through DBT mode. These trainees are receiving training in various sectors like IT/ITES, manufacturing, automobile, etc. This initiative is in line with the government’s focus on skilling and employability of youth. The NATS 2.0 portal is expected to be used by a large number of beneficiaries to register and apply for apprenticeship. Additionally, establishments/industries will leverage the portal to manage their vacancies and contracts. Therefore, a large number of young graduates and diploma holders will be assisted in acquiring employment skills, along with a monthly stipend.

Two panel discussions on the future of apprenticeships- Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes, Credit for all Apprenticeships, Industry & Higher Education Collaboration and Leveraging Technology for DBT and Strengthening e-Governance were also organized during the event which was attended by eminent dignitaries, academicians and students. The top three establishments/industries namely Cognizant Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Infosys Ltd. and Tech Mahindra Pvt. Ltd. were recognized during the event.

K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Prof. T. G. Sitaram, Chairman, AICTE, Prof. M. Jagadeesh Kumar, Chairman, University Grants Commission, Anil Sahasrabuddhe, Chairman, NETF, Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, Department of Education, Ministry of Education, Director, Higher Education, Shri Gaurav Singh, Academicians, Officials and Students also attended the event. Two apprentices shared their experiences during the event.

Addressing the gathering, Dharmendra Pradhan said that NATS Portal 2.0 is an important effort to democratize apprenticeship, address skill gaps, meet the aspirations of youth and prepare them for the future. He said that the portal launched today will widen the reach of apprenticeship opportunities and help in synergy between candidates and employers.

Dharmendra Pradhan also said that this technology-driven era is not just about acquiring degrees but also about building competencies. He said that our curriculum should focus on enhancing employability skills. He highlighted that this year’s budget also laid great emphasis on promoting skills and employability. He said that our apprenticeship ecosystem should include diverse and emerging sectors. He called upon all stakeholders to prepare a comprehensive strategy to harness the demographic dividend of the country.

Pradhan also appealed to all educational institutions and industries to join the NATS 2.0 portal. He said that we have to make apprenticeship a people’s movement.

The Government of India has started paying its share of stipend directly into the bank accounts of apprentices through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism in 2024 to ensure that the stipend benefits of NATS are delivered to the intended apprentices in a timely, efficient and transparent manner. It aims to expand the use of the DBT system to provide the Government’s share in the stipend to all beneficiaries of the scheme.

The scheme is facilitated by the NATS 2.0 portal, developed by the Ministry of Education with the support of AICTE and BOAT/BOPT as a one-stop solution for managing apprenticeship lifecycle activities such as student registration, advertisement of vacancies, student application, contract creation, certification, reporting as well as stipend disbursement through DBT. The portal is now fully functional and is being leveraged by the Ministry of Education to complete the end-to-end DBT process.

NEP 2020 aims to bring vocational education into the mainstream and remove barriers between different sectors of education. It emphasises on integrating general and vocational education to ensure vertical and horizontal mobility for students. In line with NEP 2020, draft guidelines for Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP) have been released by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).