New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) As India prepares its youth for a dynamic and inclusive economy, the upcoming Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC) meeting will play a crucial role in shaping the country’s skilling and apprenticeship framework, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) said on Sunday.

Ahead of the meeting on May 26, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary, said the meeting will be a “catalyst to unlock greater flexibility, global linkages, and institutional coherence” in apprenticeship policies.

He added that it marks an important step towards achieving the vision of a ‘Kushal Bharat, Viksit Bharat’.

The Council was reconstituted in October 2024, with Jayant Chaudhary as its Chairman. It advises the government on major policies and strategies to improve apprenticeship training in India.

This will be the first CAC meeting since June 2021, and it comes at a time when the country’s apprenticeship ecosystem has seen significant growth.

Currently, over 43.47 lakh apprentices are engaged across 36 states and union territories, with active support from more than 51,000 establishments.

Outreach has expanded to cover a wide range of social groups and districts, while key programmes like PM-NAPS and NATS have helped align apprenticeship training with emerging sectors and technologies.

The 38th CAC meeting will focus on several key reforms. These include introducing digital and virtual modes of apprenticeship, integrating degree apprenticeships by formally recognising Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP), and allowing apprentices to gain global experience through deployments at client sites.

The Council will also discuss increasing stipend rates in line with inflation, and offering greater support to women, persons with disabilities (PwDs), and youth from the North Eastern Region (NER).

Another important agenda is the creation of new regional boards to strengthen institutional capacity.

Just days before the meeting, MSDE also launched a special Apprenticeship Scheme Pilot for the North Eastern Region in Aizawl, Mizoram.

In partnership with the Mizoram government, the initiative offers an extra Rs 1,500 monthly stipend to over 26,000 youth from the region, in addition to standard NAPS benefits.

The Rs 43.94 crore project is being implemented by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) Guwahati and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

This initiative is designed to increase apprenticeship participation in underserved areas and help local youth become industry-ready through better access to skill-building.

–IANS

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