Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela

The Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela took place across 200+ locations in India on June 13th 2022. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will be organizing the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela on a monthly basis. 

Since the skill development model, PM National Apprenticeship Mela, has been adopted recently, It forms an important part of the UPSC current affairs section.

The topic has a very high chance of being asked as a UPSC prelims question. Government welfare schemes are a significant part of the Social Justice and Indian Polity segments of the UPSC Syllabus for General Studies paper 2. 

Hence, this article will give further details about Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela within the context of the IAS Exam.

Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela – Overview

1. The Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela was launched on April 21st 2022. 
2. It was organized by the Ministry of Skill development and Entrepreneurship. 
3. It will be conducted by the ministry every month from June onwards.
4. More than 1000 companies from across 36+ sectors will be participating in the PM National Apprenticeship Mela providing opportunities to the youth of being hired as an apprentice within companies.
5. The skill development model will engage over one million youth as apprentices through these melas. This will not only give the candidates hands-on experience on the shop floors but also address the challenge of migration at a local level.
6. The candidates will be given a choice of 500+ trades, including welders, electricians, housekeepers, beauticians, mechanics, and others.
7. Individuals having a 5th–12th grade pass certificate, a skill training certificate, an ITI Diploma, or a graduate degree can apply for an interview across these trades/opportunities.

Aim of National Apprenticeship Mela

1. The aim of PM National Apprenticeship Mela is to connect the youth of the country with more opportunities of on-ground training within corporates and further to get a chance of gaining employment.
2. The primary goal of this programme is to encourage the hiring of apprentices from these cities, as well as to assist employers in identifying and developing their potential through training and practical skill sets bringing value to their workplace.

PM National Apprenticeship Mela – Associated Opportunities

1. Candidates will also receive Apprenticeship certificates recognised by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) at the end of their training period, which will give them industry recognition.
2. The organizations participating in the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Melas have the opportunity to meet potential apprentices on a common platform and select candidates on the spot.
3. The small-scale industries with at least four employees can hire apprentices at the event.
4. A credit bank concept will also be introduced soon, with a depositary of various credits accumulated by learners that can be used for future academic pathways.

Aspirants of UPSC exam and other government exam can go through the given links on various government schemes promoting skill development in the country – 

To know more about other Government Schemes, visit the linked article.

Government Initiatives to Promote Skill Development

1. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Aims to provide free skill training avenues to youths of India.
2. Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement- STRIVE: The main focus of the scheme is to improve the performance of ITIs.  The scheme is a World Bank assisted-Government of India project with the objective of improving the relevance and efficiency of skills training provided through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and apprenticeships.
3. Skill Saathi Counseling Program: MSDE also launched the Skill Saathi program which was aimed to sensitize the youth of the country on various avenues under Skill India Mission and increase the aspiration for skill development.
4. SANKALP: Centrally Sponsored Scheme which is collaborated with the World Bank and focuses on district-level skilling ecosystem through convergence and coordination. Candidates can know in detail about SANKALP and Strive Scheme, Aim and Objective on the given link.
5. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK): These are the state-of-the-art Model Training Centres envisaged to create benchmark institutions that demonstrate aspirational value for competency-based skill development training.
6. Industrial Training Centres (ITIs): Aims to expand and modernize the existing Long-Term Training ecosystem in India.
7. Offering vocational courses and Working closely with CBSE to develop “Hubs of Excellence in Skills” for school students, MSDE will introduce high-quality, technology-oriented skill programs to schools. Read more on the need for Vocational Education on the linked page.

To know more about the latest competitive exam updates, study material, preparation tips and notes, candidates can turn to BYJU’S for expert assistance. 

Relevant Links