Maharashtra to train 1 lakh youths annually through home-district apprenticeship

In a move aimed at strengthening skill development and local employment, Maharashtra’s Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minister, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, has directed that students from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) be offered apprenticeship opportunities within their home districts. The initiative is expected to provide thousands of students with hands-on training while allowing them to remain close to their families.

The plan is designed to reduce the need for relocation and build stronger links between local talent and regional industries. Under the new approach, students will be able to earn a stipend and acquire practical experience through apprenticeships in industries operating in their own areas.

The Maharashtra Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme targets training around one lakh candidates each year. Industries with 30 or more employees, including contractual staff, are now required to offer apprenticeship positions equal to between 2.5% and 25% of their total workforce.
The scheme currently spans 258 designated trades across 27 sectors and 414 optional trades across 35 sectors. It also includes 123 professions under the Maharashtra State Skill Development Examination Board, along with 20 additional trades across six other sectors. Depending on the trade, the duration of an apprenticeship may range from six to 36 months. Both freshers and those who have already received training will be eligible.

To support quality training, government, semi-government, and private institutions are being encouraged to expand their intake of apprentices. The ITI curriculum is also under regular review to bring more trades under the scheme. As per state guidelines, institutions offering basic training will be reimbursed accordingly.

Students have responded positively to the initiative. Many ITI students across the state have welcomed the opportunity to gain skills and work experience without needing to move away from their hometowns.

In parallel, Lodha is working to revive apprentice recruitment within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Previously, around 200 ITI students were appointed each year in various BMC departments, but the practice had come to a halt in recent years. The minister has written to the BMC Commissioner to resume the programme, and similar efforts are underway in other municipal corporations across Maharashtra.

The initiative is being viewed as a practical step towards closing the gap between skill training and employment, while encouraging stronger participation from local industries.