How to get hired
First, work out which scheme you belong to. It decides the portal, the stipend floor and who pays part of it.
| You have | Scheme | Portal | Minimum stipend a month (from 11 Sep 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 5 to 9 | NAPS | apprenticeshipindia.gov.in | ₹6,800 |
| Class 10 | NAPS | apprenticeshipindia.gov.in | ₹8,200 |
| Class 12, or an ITI (NCVT/SCVT) certificate | NAPS | apprenticeshipindia.gov.in | ₹9,600 |
| Vocational certificate, or studying at a diploma institute | NATS | nats.education.gov.in | ₹9,600 |
| Diploma in any branch | NATS | nats.education.gov.in | ₹10,900 |
| Degree in any stream (B.Com, BA, B.Sc, B.Tech…) | NATS | nats.education.gov.in | ₹12,300 |
These are the minimums in the Apprenticeship (Amendment) Rules, 2025. An employer can pay more and many large plants do; none can legally pay less. In multi-year apprenticeships the rules raise the floor in the second and third years.
NAPS: trade apprentices
Register on the Apprenticeship India portal with Aadhaar, a mobile number linked to it, your marksheets and a bank account in your own name. Your profile gets a registration number; then you search seats by trade, district and establishment and apply. Shortlisted candidates get a call for a written test or interview, then a contract that you accept on the portal. Under NAPS the Centre pays 25% of the stipend, up to ₹1,500 a month, straight into your account, and the employer pays the rest.
If you never went to an ITI, look for "fresher apprentice" seats in optional trades. Many of these include a short basic-training block before the shop floor.
NATS: graduate, diploma and vocational apprentices
The NATS portal is run by the Ministry of Education through four regional Boards of Apprenticeship Training. Enrol with your degree or diploma details; your college may have to approve your enrolment. Establishments post openings, you apply, and the board approves the contract. The Centre reimburses 50% of the minimum stipend to you by DBT. NATS seats are not only engineering: banks, hospitals, retailers and logistics firms take B.Com and BBA apprentices for back-office and branch work. Check on the portal how many years after passing you remain eligible, because that window decides whether you can still enrol.
Rules most people learn too late
- You can do at most two apprenticeships, and the second cannot be in the same trade or subject field.
- There must be a gap of at least one year between two trainings, unless the first ended because the employer failed its duties.
- The government's share of the stipend is paid only for your first apprenticeship.
- If the contract is ended because you broke its terms, you lose the right to another apprenticeship under the Act.
What gets you picked
Plants shortlist on marks and the written test, then pick on attendance record, medical fitness and how you answer basic trade questions. Offices hiring NATS apprentices look at communication and Excel. Apply to several establishments in your district rather than one big name in a distant city: travel and lodging eat a ₹9,600 stipend fast.
What the year is really like
You sign a contract of apprenticeship, not an employment letter. You follow the plant's shift timings, you get a weekly off and leave as the rules allow, and your training has a syllabus that a supervisor signs off. No company is bound to hire you at the end. Many do pick their best apprentices for operator, technician or junior executive roles, often first on fixed-term contracts.
At the end you sit the assessment for your trade (NAPS) or receive a proficiency certificate from your board (NATS). Keep the certificate PDF and your stipend bank statements: employers and later apprenticeship schemes ask for both.