Women remain underrepresented in Centre's apprenticeship scheme

Women's representation in India's flagship apprenticeship programme remains significantly below parity, with female apprentices accounting for just 29.5 per cent of total enrolments under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) in FY27 to date.

The persistent gender gap underscores the challenges facing India's efforts to broaden workforce participation among women, particularly in technical and skilled vocational sectors. Despite targeted schemes and policy measures aimed at encouraging female apprentices to pursue training in traditionally male-dominated trades, participation rates continue to lag.

The disparity is most pronounced in skilled trades, where women remain vastly underrepresented. Industry observers and policymakers have attributed the gap to multiple factors, including social attitudes toward women in manual and technical professions, limited awareness of apprenticeship opportunities, and infrastructural constraints that may hinder female participation.

The Centre has rolled out several measures to boost women's enrolment in vocational training programmes, recognizing the potential for female workers to address skill shortages across various sectors. However, the data suggests these initiatives have yet to substantially shift participation patterns in the apprenticeship space.