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Apprentice hiring in India is at an all-time high. 8 out of 10 employers have expressed their intent to increase apprentice intake. About 60% of the businesses are increasing their engagement with apprentices by upto 25%.

Why is there an increase in Apprentice Hiring?

Though employer intent to hire apprentices started only as the need to comply with the Apprentices Act of 1961, there is a steady increase in apprenticeship engagement by employers across industries. The Net Apprenticeship Outlook (NAO), a key indicator that measures the expected trends in employer engagement with apprenticeships is at an all-time high of 76%. Business list the need to augment or create a talent pool, rationalize their talent cost and the intent to boost gender diversity as the top reasons for the rise in apprentice engagement.

Which are the industries increasing Apprentice Hiring in India?

10 out of the 14 Focus Industries see an increase in their NAO. IT & BPM has the highest NAO for Jan-Mar 2024-25 quarter (88%, up from 62% in HY2: Oct-Mar, 2023-24). Healthcare, Electronic Systems & Electricals, Telecommunication, and BFSI are the other top industries where over 85% of the employers are increasing their apprentice intake. Even the sunrise industries like Drone, EV & Mobility, Semiconductor, Solar and GCC are increasingly hiring apprentices in India.

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What happens to the apprentices post training completion?

Post their training; apprentices will be absorbed into the organization’s workforce as full-time employees. There is a significant positive trend in employers successfully transitioning apprentices into full-time roles post-training.

3 in 4 organizations have a regular practice of absorbing candidates or apprentices after they complete their training.

Are businesses working with Third-party Aggregators (TPAs) for apprentice hiring?

Companies are exploring partnership with TPAs for hiring apprentices and managing the process end-to-end. About 20% of the employers have said that they are already working with a TPA for apprentice engagement and a whopping 57% (up from 19% in the previous period) have said that they are exploring partnerships with TPAs.

Interested to know the benefits of associating with a TPA for apprenticeship management? Contact us

What is the representation of women in apprenticeship programs?

Women’s participation in apprenticeship programs is steadily advancing, with 26% of companies reporting that women comprise upto 10% of their apprentice pool. 44% of employers have expressed their intent to increase women apprentices.

Solar, Semiconductor, IT & BPM, Healthcare, and Telecommunication are some of the industries that have a strong intent to boost female apprentice participation.

There is a significant increase in the overall employer intent for apprentice hiring in India. While employers initially hired apprentices to comply with the Apprentices Act of 1961, apprenticeship engagement has steadily grown across industries in the past few years.

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