Students enrolled in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Maharashtra will now be offered apprenticeship opportunities in industries located within their home districts, Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha announced on Wednesday.
Issuing a directive to industrial training institutes and regional officers, Lodha stated that apprenticeships should be facilitated locally to enable students to gain practical experience with stipends without having to relocate. The move is aimed at increasing accessibility to vocational training and easing the transition from education to employment.
The state is implementing the ‘Maharashtra Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme’ using infrastructure available in industrial establishments under the purview of the central government to provide essential training for skilled trades. Under the minister’s leadership, the scheme aims to train as many as one lakh candidates annually.
As part of the initiative, establishments with a workforce of 30 or more (including contractual staff) are now required to allocate a minimum of 2.5% and up to a maximum of 25% of their total workforce strength for apprenticeship roles. The scheme covers 258 designated trades in 27 sectors, 414 optional trades across 35 sectors, 20 trades in six categories, and 123 trades approved by the Maharashtra State Board of Skill Development Examinations. The duration of apprenticeships varies from six to 36 months, depending on the trade.
The scheme provides training for both freshers and candidates who have already undergone formal instruction. It is being aggressively promoted across government, semi-government, and private sector establishments. Revised ITI curricula will also be regularly reviewed and incorporated into the programme.
Institutions providing basic training in accordance with central and state government norms will receive the necessary reimbursements. Thousands of ITI students have already welcomed the decision to be placed in local industries, citing improved access and convenience.
In Mumbai, government ITIs had previously facilitated apprenticeship placements for 200 students in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). However, such appointments had stopped in recent years. Minister Lodha has now written to the BMC Commissioner requesting the resumption of these placements. Similar apprenticeship opportunities are expected to be extended soon to students in other municipal corporations as well.
