Employers keen to appoint more apprentices in H1 2022, says TeamLease Apprenticeship Outlook Report

A significant percentage of employers are keen to increase their apprentice appointment in the first six months of this year, mainly on account of awareness and reforms in the apprenticeship system, according to a report.

According to TeamLease Apprenticeship Outlook Report for H1 (January to June 2022), 72 per cent of employers are keen to increase their apprentice appointment in the first half of this year.

Apprenticeship Outlook Report is a survey, covering 14 cities and 18 leading sectors. The report has surveyed 871 employers and captures the appointment sentiment for the period HY (January to June) 2022.

Out of the 18 sectors surveyed in the report, employers in 10 sectors have a positive outlook to appoint more apprentices. Engineering, Automobiles & Ancillaries, and Retail have emerged as the leaders.

"When it comes to the adoption of apprenticeships in India, the last five years have been very rewarding. Employer sentiment has drastically improved on account of awareness and the reforms in the apprenticeship system, with more employers coming to the forefront and engaging more apprentices," Sumit Kumar, Vice President - NETAP, TeamLease Skill University, said.

The positivity is not restricted to employers, more aspirants now look at apprenticeships as a beneficial method to enter formal employment. They have understood the merit of apprenticeships in enabling them to earn and study, thus giving them the necessary experience and increasing their chances of shaping their career, Kumar said.

From the profile/roles point of view, the top profiles (and their net apprenticeship outlook) across these categories were - Data Analytics Executives (23 per cent, under Graduate Apprentices), Production Apprentices (20 per cent, under Trade Apprentices) and Maintenance Technician-Electrical (20 per cent, under Designated Trade Apprentices).

The report further noted that Chennai, Ahmedabad and Delhi are the top regions, respectively, where employers are planning to appoint more apprentices.

Kumar further noted that the New Education Policy has laid the foundation for this already. We need to fast track NEP and ensure that there is better preparedness amongst employers and academia to adopt apprenticeships.

"We have the potential to reach 10 million apprentices in 10 years, provided necessary actions are undertaken to have a university as an integral part of the apprenticeship system, all universities are allowed to offer blended learning methods (online and on-site, along with on the job) for degree apprenticeships," Kumar added.