Understanding the Apprentices Act of 1961: How Does It Shape Skill Development Today?

The Apprentices Act, 1961

An apprentice is a novice or a beginner. To be more precise, a person who is learning a trade by being employed in it for an agreed period is called an apprentice.

The Apprentices Act was enacted in 1961. The Apprentices Act has, amongst others, two important objectives, such as the promotion of new manpower skills and the improvement/refinement of old skills through theoretical and practical training in a number of trades and occupations.

It is now a statutory obligation on the part of every employer covered under the Act to train a prescribed number of persons. Therefore, apprenticeship is a sort of job training. The act defines the technician (vocational) apprentice who holds or is undergoing training to obtain a certificate in a vocational course involving two years of study after completion of the secondary stage of school education recognized by the All India Council and undergoes apprenticeship training in any such subject field in any vocational course as may be prescribed.

The act provides an important instrument for sharpening the capability, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and skill of the workers and through this eventually helps them enrich their lifestyle.

Is there any change in stipendiary payable to Trade Apprentices? In April 2001, DGET established for a 4-year training, stipendiary as follows – first year – Rs 820 per month, second year – Rs 940 per month, third year – Rs 1,090 per month, and fourth year – Rs 1,230 per month.

Which establishments are covered under the act, and what are the rules for filling up the returns under the act?

Please let me know if you need further assistance or clarification.

Which establishments are covered under the Apprenticeship Act? What are the rules for filling up the half-yearly returns under the Act?

According to the Apprenticeship Act 1961, Section 2(g), an establishment includes any place where any industry is carried on. If an establishment consists of different departments and has branches, whether situated in the same place or at different places, all such departments and branches shall be treated as part of that establishment.

Public Sector Establishment

Here, Section 2(i) states that an establishment in the public sector means an establishment owned, controlled, or managed by:

- a) the government or a department of the government,
- b) a government company as defined in Section 617 of the Companies Act 1956 (1 of 1956),
- c) a corporation (including a cooperative society) established by or under a Central, Provisional, or State Act, which is owned, controlled, or managed by the government,
- d) a local authority.

I believe this information will address your query.

Regards,
C.M. Mohla

Dear Raveesant,

The revised rates are as follows:

1st year - 1090 p.m.
2nd year - 1240 p.m.
3rd year - 1440 p.m.
4th year - 1620 p.m.

Regards,
C.M. Mohla

Dear all,

Can anybody please guide me if any kind of license is required to be obtained by the employer in order to employ apprentices? If yes, where can I get the details from?

Thank you.

Dear All,

Could you please provide me with a list of all the documents that we need to record for apprentices?

Thanks for the reply. Actually, the Labor Commissioner in Kolkata is asking for a written application describing in which trades the apprentices will be hired. Based on this, his office will start proceeding to issue the license. I could find no mention of such activities or a license in the Apprentice Act itself.

Regards

As per Section 9 of the Apprentices Act, "Where an employer employs in his establishment five hundred or more workers, the basic training shall be imparted to the trade apprentices either in separate parts of the workshop building or in a separate building which shall be set up by the employer himself. However, the appropriate Government may grant loans to the employer on easy terms repayable by easy installments to meet the cost of the land, construction, and equipment for such a separate building."

Are only permanent workers to be included in this count, or temporary/casual workers also?

An employer has to provide any benefits to apprentices, such as PF and ESI. Please help me.

Regards,
Srikanth

Apprentices are not covered under the PF Act; however, ESI is applicable to them.

Documentation Requirement Under the Apprentice Act of 1961

Under the Apprentice Act of 1961, is there any documentation that specifies the apprentice is full-time for one year? Is there any information available online? I am working with an attorney, and he needs that documentation for legal purposes.

Thank you,
Kalpesh Vaidya

Apprentice Trainees are not full-time employees/workers. Apprentice training is a 12-month program (for graduates, diploma holders, and vocational trainees) that provides on-the-job training. Please refer to the link for complete details about the Apprentice Act: [UP LABOUR DEPARTMENT](http://up.nic.in#List) of Industries covered under Section 1(4)(a) of the Apprentices Act, 1961.

Thank you.

Regards,

Dear All,

I have some urgent questions here.

Coverage of IT Industry Under the Apprentice Act

Is the IT industry covered under the Apprentice Act? Are interns such as MBA students and engineers covered under the Apprentice Act, both during and after the completion of their courses?

If yes:

1. Minimum wage requirement – Should this be on a "No Pay" basis or at any minimum level?
2. Perquisites that can be provided – Can these include Sodexo, Transport Allowance, or any others?
3. Duration of internship?

Please help me with this.

Regards

Also, in addition to the above questions, can anyone please share the list of 254 industries, including establishments notified by the government to fall under the Apprentice Act?

Dear Mr. Shailesh,

Apprentices engaged as per The Apprentices Act, 1961 have to be paid a "Stipend" applicable to the respective trade. An apprentice also needs to be covered under ESI. An apprentice is excluded from the purview of EPF coverage.

Thank you.