Doubling the number of apprentices in India from 500,000 to 1 million per year, and setting an initial target of 10 million apprentices in ten years, is a crucial step in bridging the skill gap, reports The Economic Times, citing a study from TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship and JustJobs Network. The study found that an increasing number of employers are focusing on hiring candidates who have some prior work experience and apprenticeships is playing a crucial role in bridging this gap. The study reiterates that Indian youth do not have proper exposure to the world of work when they are learning and their education and skills are not adequately aligned with what industry requires.

The study further states that to arrest the persisting challenges of youth unemployment and underemployment, scaling the apprentice pool is critical. India currently has only 500,000 apprentices, which constitutes 0.11% of the pool of apprentices worldwide. “Apprenticeships have emerged as an enterprising and promising solution which is truly augmenting the employability landscape in India. However, with our current base of mere 500,000 apprentices, we have barely reached our true potential,” Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder & Executive Director, TeamLease Services, said.