Applications under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) fell to a six-year low of 401,560 in 2025, according to reports from Business Standard. This represents the lowest application figure since 2019, marking a significant decline from the scheme's peak of 4.28 million applications in 2022. The latest figure is more than 90% below the 2022 peak, highlighting a concerning trend in candidate participation despite ongoing employer demand.
Despite the decline in applications, employers continue to create substantial apprenticeship opportunities through the portal. As reported by Business Standard, a cumulative 7.7 million vacancies have been created under the scheme since inception, with over 7.08 million remaining available currently. This data reveals a widening gap between vacancies available and applications received, indicating potential challenges in candidate discovery and engagement processes.
Industry experts have identified multiple contributing factors to the application decline. According to Business Standard reports, Nipun Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, attributed the issue largely to low awareness and limited financial incentives. Sharma noted that many companies and potential applicants remain unaware of such schemes and may be missing out on apprenticeship opportunities despite wanting to participate.
Bornali Bhandari, professor at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), highlighted that while awareness remains a major problem, wage structure is an equally significant issue. As reported by Business Standard, apprentices earning around ₹15,000 per month may find it unviable to relocate to larger cities due to higher living costs, instead preferring local employment opportunities offering similar wages. Bhandari emphasized that low wages for apprentices and barriers to mobility continue to be the larger and more pertinent problems facing the scheme.
The scheme operates under the Apprentices Act, 1961, which mandates eligible establishments to engage apprentices within a prescribed range of 2.5% to 15% of their workforce. According to Business Standard reports, several companies are yet to fully comply with this requirement, contributing to the overall decline in application numbers. The NAPS serves as the Centre's flagship apprenticeship promotion programme, aimed at providing industry-relevant, on-the-job training to young workforce entrants through financial support and candidate-employer matching.
