GOVERNMENT
TO ENFORCE APPRENTICES ACT STRICTLY AGAINST DEFAULTING ESTABLISHMENTS
Government
will enforce Apprentices Act more forcefully against those establishments
who do not engage apprentices as per the fixed quota. The State
Apprenticeship Advisers have been urged not to hesitate taking
legal action against defaulting establishments. This was stated
by the Labour Minister Dr. Sahib Singh while inaugurating the
29th Meeting of the Central Apprenticeship Council
here this morning. Stressing the need for skill building in the
informal sector, the Labour Minister and Chairman of the Council
said that 13 trades in this sector are being introduced for the
first time under the Apprenticeship training Scheme. Dr. Sahib
Singh said that the Directorate General of Education and Training
(DGE&T) of the Labour Ministry has for the first time formulated
a new scheme on a pilot basis for testing and certification of
the skill of workers obtained through informal means. He said
that training would be crucial in meeting the target fixed by
the government to provide ten million jobs each year during the
10th Plan and the Council has an important role in
it. Dr. Sahib Singh called upon the private sector to complement
and supplement government’s effort in skill building. He said
that it is important to have very close linkages between the government
and the industry not only for the normal industrial training but
also for the apprenticeship training. The Labour Minister said
that the Council should meet at least twice a year.
Earlier the Minister
of State for Labour Shri Ashok Pradhan urged the Council to play
a pro-active role in creating a skilled workforce in the country.
He said that in the era of globalisation, there has to be increase
in productivity and production and this is possible only through
skill upgradation of the workers. Shri Pradhan said that new trades
should be incorporated to meet the demands of changing economy.
The Minister
of State for Human Resource Development and Vice Chairperson of
the Council Dr. Rita Verma said that her Ministry has fixed a
target to impart apprenticeship training to 60 thousand persons
during the current financial year. She suggested that smaller
committee of the Council should be constituted which should meet
frequently to review the apprenticeship training scenario.
The Labour Secretary
Dr. P.D. Shenoy said that to encourage the industry, the Labour
Ministry has proposed to the Finance Ministry to extend the benefit
of deduction on account of recurring expenditure on training of
apprentices under the Income Tax Act to establishments employing
250 persons or more. At present the benefit is applicable to establishments
employing 500 or more. He said that Finance Ministry is also being
requested to allow tax benefits to the industry towards expenditure
incurred on payment of stipends to the apprentices. He said that
under the trade apprentice programme there are about 19,500 establishments
with a seating capacity of 2.17 lakh in public and private sector.
Dr. Shenoy expressed concern that of these only 71 per cent of
the seats are utilised. He said similarly under the categories
of the Graduate, Technician and Technician (Vocational) Apprentices
which are implemented by the HRD Ministry, only 43 % of the seats
are utilised. He said that the Council will have to ensure that
the quota of seats fixed is fully utilised.
254 groups of
industries have been notified under the Apprentices Act. There
are four categories of apprentices, namely, Trade Apprentices,
Graduate Apprentices, Technician Apprentices and Technician (Vocational)
Apprentices. While the Trade Apprentice Programmes are implemented
by DGE&T and State Governments the implementation in respect
of other three categories is done by Ministry of Human Resource
Development. Trade Apprenticeship Training is offered in 153 designated
trades under 32 Trade Groups.
