**Executive Summary**
This document presents the response from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to questions regarding Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training (OJT) under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS). It outlines measures to ensure OJT, targets for apprentice engagement for the financial year 2025-26, the promotion of micro-credential courses, and efforts to ease the engagement of apprentices for MSMEs. The document was answered on December 15, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **On-Job-Training (OJT) under PMKVY 4.0:**
* OJT is an integral part of PMKVY 4.0, designed to give trainees real-industry exposure.
* The Ministry maps OJT partners during the training proposal stage.
* Training providers must declare OJT start and end dates on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) portal.
* Establishments issue OJT certificates upon completion, uploaded to the SIDH portal.
* PMKVY 4.0 aims to empower candidates to choose suitable career paths through industry-relevant OJT embedded courses.
* **National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS):**
* A physical target of 13 lakh apprentices has been set for the financial year 2025-26.
* 7.12 lakh apprentices have been engaged up to October 2025.
* **Micro-Credential Courses:**
* National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Micro Credentials (MC) have been approved under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
* NOS/Micro-credentials define measurable workplace competencies, knowledge, and skills, with courses starting from 7.5 hours.
* The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) approves the NOS/Micro-credentials after industry validation.
* **Ease of Doing Business for MSMEs:**
* An enhanced apprenticeship portal facilitates activities like registration, course selection, candidate engagement, training monitoring, stipend management, and assessment uploads.
* District-level Assistant Apprenticeship Advisers and empanelled Third Party Aggregators (TPAs) support establishments to ease processes and reduce compliance.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Trainees under PMKVY 4.0**
* **Impact:** Enhanced industry exposure through OJT and empowerment to choose varied career paths.
* **Action Required:** Actively participate in OJT and utilize SIDH portal resources for career planning.
**Stakeholder: Training Providers under PMKVY 4.0**
* **Impact:** Requirement to declare OJT details on the SIDH portal and issue certificates.
* **Action Required:** Declare OJT dates on SIDH, provide OJT opportunities, and issue completion certificates.
**Stakeholder: Apprentices under NAPS**
* **Impact:** Increased opportunities for apprenticeship under the 2025-26 targets.
* **Action Required:** Engage in available apprenticeship opportunities.
**Stakeholder: Industries and Employers (including MSMEs)**
* **Impact:** Access to micro-credential courses for upskilling and reskilling. Simplified apprenticeship processes via the enhanced portal and support from advisors/TPAs.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the apprenticeship portal, engage with advisors/TPAs, and provide validation for NOS/Micro-credentials.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship: Primary government body responsible for the Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training (OJT) policies.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0: A skill development scheme that includes On-the-Job Training (OJT) as an integral component.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS): A scheme designed to increase the number of apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship Act: Act governing the engagement of apprentices; the government is reviewing measures related to compliance under the Act.
Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH): Portal used for declaring On-the-Job Training (OJT) details, and where certificates are uploaded.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2516
ANSWERED ON – 15/12/2025
APPRENTICESHIP AND ON-THE JOB TRAINING (OJT)
2516. SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN:
SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT:
Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to
state:
(a) the measure taken/being taken by the Government to ensure mandatory On-the Job
Training (OJT) in short-term courses under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0
along with the penalties applicable upon training providers who fail to provides a genuine
placement;
(b) the target of the Government to increase the number of active apprentices under the
Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS) during the Financial
Year 2025-26;
(c) the manner in which the Government is promoting short term micro-credential courses
and the manner in which industry is likely to recognize and evaluate these courses compared to
full-term certificates; and
(d) whether the Government has reviewed the ease of doing business measures relating to
engagement of apprentices by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to reduce the compliance
burden under the Apprenticeship Act?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL
DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a) On-Job-Training (OJT) is an integral component of the PMKVY 4.0 to ensure trainees
gain real-industry exposure. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship ensures
identification and mapping of OJT partners at the training proposal submission stage itself. The
training providers are required to declare the start and end date for the OJT on Skill India Digital
Hub (SIDH) portal. The establishments offering OJT issue a certificate upon complication,
indicating the trainee’s duration of training and attendance. This certificate is also uploaded on
the SIDH portal.
Under PMKVY 4.0 which is under implementation since FY 2022-23, the focus is to empower
our trained candidates to choose their varied career path and they are suitably oriented for the
same through On-Job Training (OJT) embedded industry relevant skill courses.
(b) In the current financial year (2025-26), a physical target of 13 lakh apprentices has been
set under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), out of which 7.12 lakh
apprentices have been engaged up to October 2025.
(c) In order to provide more flexibility in skilling ecosystem, smaller modules of learning in
the form of National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Micro Credentials (MC) have been
approved under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). A NOS / Micro-Credential
defines measurable workplace competencies, knowledge and skills delivered through focused,flexible learning units for upskilling, reskilling, cross sectoral skilling and meeting specific
industry needs starting from 7.5 hours duration. On the basis of demand and requirement of the
industries, the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) approves the
NOS / Micro-credentials after the mandatory industry validations.
(d) An enhanced version of the apprenticeship portal facilitates an integrated digital process
for establishments, including MSMEs, to manage activities such as registration, course
selection, candidate engagement, contract issuance, training monitoring, stipend management,
and assessment uploads. To make these processes easier and reduce compliance burden,
establishments may avail support from district-level Assistant Apprenticeship Advisers and
empanelled Third Party Aggregators (TPAs).
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