It will make graduates and diploma holders of this country more employable. Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the NATS 2.0 portal with the release of ₹100 crore as stipends under DBT in New Delhi. This move means democratizing opportunities through apprenticeships and will bridge the skill gap to make Indian youth ready for careers of the future.

A New Era of Apprenticeships

The NATS 2.0 portal would provide a single dashboard for the management of the entire cycle of apprenticeship—right from student registration to vacancy advertisement and stipend disbursal. The smoothness of these processes can attract a large number of beneficiaries who could easily register and apply against various available vacancies in different sectors like IT, manufacturing, automobiles, etc.

During the inauguration ceremony, Minister Pradhan termed the above as one step towards the aspirations of the youth. He said, “The NATS Portal 2.0 is an important initiative to increase the reach of apprenticeship training and aid in matching of job seekers and employers”. This technology-driven approach focuses not only on their academic qualifications but building up essential competencies that increase employability.

Direct Benefit to Apprentices

The stipends, to the tune of ₹100 crore, are aimed at giving some sort of financial support to apprentices during their training. This direct financial support is very important in keeping young people focused on the acquisition of skills, sans any financial worries. A DBT mechanism ensures that the government’s share of the stipend goes directly into the bank account of the apprentices, guaranteeing timely and transparent delivery .

A Call to Action

He called on all educational institutions and industries to actively participate in the NATS 2.0 portal here. He expressed his views that apprenticeship needs to be made a mass movement. With emphasis on the current budget, which gives special focus to boosting skilling and employment, he exhorted all stakeholders to join hands in a big way in order to harness the demographic dividend of the country.

Once the NATS 2.0 portal is fully functional, it will no doubt prove to be a game-changer in the future for apprenticeships happening within the country and therefore for a skilled workforce equipped and ready for the challenges arising within a changing job market.