The University Grants Commission has invited suggestions and feedback from the stakeholders on the draft guidelines for the apprenticeship embedded degree programme. The programme aims to enable a student admitted to an undergraduate programme of a Higher Educational Institution to pursue apprenticeship training as an integrated component of the degree programme in compliance with these guidelines. In a post on the microblogging site, X, the Commission asked the stakeholders to share their comments on the guidelines through the Google form available within 30 days of the date of publication. UGC, as per a notice, said that there is a need to bridge the gap between ‘what is taught in the class’ and ‘what is required by industry’. "The competencies required by the industry need to be embedded in the university curriculum so that the Education-Employability gap is bridged. Apprenticeship has a considerable role to play in bridging this gap," read the documents. Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme Rules - The document read that only those employers will be eligible to engage apprentices who have four or more workers and engagement of apprentices by establishment having 30 or more workers shall be obligatory. - Within a financial year, each establishment will engage apprentices in a band of 2.5 per cent to 15 per cent, read the UGC document adding that the total strength of the establishment including contractual staff, subject to a minimum of 5 per cent of the total to be reserved for fresher apprentices and skill certificate holder apprentices. - It also mentions to establish the regional boards of apprenticeship or practical training by the Government of India at Chennai, Kanpur, Mumbai, and Kolkata as “Autonomous Bodies” to implement the national scheme of apprenticeship training in the respective regions. For more details on the programme, stakeholders are advised to read the official documents.
