Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Launches NATS 2.0 Portal and Disburses ₹100 Crore Stipend to Apprentices

New Delhi: Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan today launched the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme (NATS) 2.0 Portal and disbursed ₹100 crore stipends to apprentices through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode in New Delhi.

These apprentices are undergoing training in various sectors such as IT/ITes, manufacturing, and automobile industries. This initiative aligns with the Government’s focus on skilling and enhancing the employability of youth. The NATS 2.0 portal is expected to be utilized by a large number of beneficiaries to register and apply for apprenticeships.

Additionally, establishments and industries will leverage the portal to manage their vacancies and contracts. This initiative will support numerous young graduates and diploma holders in attaining employability skills, accompanied by a guaranteed monthly stipend.

During the event, two panel discussions were held: “Future of Apprenticeships – Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Program, Credits for All Apprenticeship, Industry and Higher Education Collaboration” and “Leveraging Technology for DBT and Strengthening e-Governance.” The discussions featured eminent dignitaries, academicians, and students. The top three establishments, Cognizant Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd., Infosys Ltd., and Tech Mahindra Pvt. Ltd., were recognized during the event.

Prominent attendees included K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Prof. T G Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE; Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman, UGC;  Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairperson NETF; Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, MoE; Gaurav Singh, Director, Higher Education; academicians, officials, and students. Two apprentices shared their experiences during the event.

Dharmendra Pradhan, addressing the gathering, emphasized that the NATS 2.0 Portal is a significant effort to democratize apprenticeship, bridge the skills gap, fulfill youth aspirations, and make them future-ready. He stated that the portal will widen the reach of apprenticeship opportunities and help in matchmaking candidates with employers. He further highlighted the importance of building competencies beyond attaining degrees and called for a focus on increasing employability skills.

The Minister pointed out that this year’s budget emphasizes boosting skilling and employment, urging stakeholders to chart a comprehensive strategy to harness the country’s demographic dividend. He appealed to all educational institutions and industries to join the NATS 2.0 portal, aiming to make apprenticeship a mass movement.

To ensure timely, efficient, and transparent delivery of stipendiary benefits, the Government of India has initiated the payment of its share of stipends directly to apprentices’ bank accounts through the DBT mechanism. The NATS 2.0 portal, developed in-house by the Ministry of Education with the support of AICTE and BoATs/BoPT, is a one-stop solution to manage apprenticeship lifecycle activities such as student registration, advertisement of vacancies, student applications, contract creation, certification, reporting, and stipend disbursal through DBT.

The NEP 2020 aims to mainstream vocational education and eliminate barriers between different streams of education. It emphasizes integrating general and vocational education to ensure vertical and horizontal mobility for students. In alignment with NEP 2020, draft guidelines have been issued by UGC and AICTE for Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP).