Gujarat Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Yojana

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Government of Gujarat runs the Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Yojana (MAY), also known as the Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Training Scheme (MATS), to strengthen apprenticeship training across the State and to open paid, practical training opportunities for young people. The State Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department introduced the scheme in the financial year 2018-19. It works alongside the Central Government's National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015. Through this arrangement, Gujarat links its own apprenticeship push with the national skill development framework instead of running a stand-alone State programme.

The scheme rests on a stipend support model. An establishment engages an apprentice under the Apprentices Act, 1961, and pays the monthly stipend. The State Government provides additional financial support towards that stipend under the MAY component, and the Central Government provides its own share under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). Because the stipend burden is shared, the effective training cost for a participating company or unit is reduced, which encourages industries of every size to create apprenticeship seats.

Under the current NAPS-2 , the Government of India contributes 25 per cent of the stipend paid, subject to a maximum of Rs. 1,500 per month per apprentice. This Central share reaches the apprentice directly through Direct Benefit Transfer into the apprentice's bank account. Country-wide rollout of this DBT mechanism under NAPS-2 took place in July 2023.

The Gujarat Government had announced an objective of engaging one lakh apprentices across private and government establishments under its apprenticeship initiative. Implementation spreads across industrial estates such as GIDC areas and Special Economic Zones, hotels and tourism units, urban development and construction, power companies, healthcare, agriculture, and roads and transport. Candidates searching for Gujarat apprentice bharti or apprentice vacancies in Gujarat should note that openings are advertised by individual establishments, including municipalities and nagarpalikas, rather than through a single state notification.

Alongside its focus on apprenticeship training, the Gujarat Government is also running support measures for ITI trainees under various skill development initiatives of the Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department, including the Gujarat Uniform Assistance Scheme for ITI Trainees. These initiatives provide additional assistance during the training period and help students move more smoothly towards employment or apprenticeship opportunities.

Scheme Benefits

The Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Yojana offers support through its apprenticeship training framework. The key provisions are outlined below.

• Central support under NAPS-2: 25 per cent of the stipend paid, subject to a maximum of Rs. 1,500 per month per apprentice.
• The Central share is transferred directly to the apprentice's bank account.
• The apprentice receives the stipend monthly during the apprenticeship training period.
• Apprenticeship training is undertaken under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• Eligible apprentices may receive an apprenticeship certificate after fulfilling the applicable training and assessment requirements.
• The MAY component provides additional State-level support towards apprenticeship stipend costs, subject to the applicable Gujarat Government provisions.

Sectors Covered Under the Scheme

The Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Training Scheme offers apprenticeship opportunities in a range of industries and services through participating establishments. Gujarat Government material highlights the following areas:

• Industrial estates, including GIDC areas and Special Economic Zones
• Hotels and tourism units
• Urban development and construction
• Power companies
• Healthcare
• Agriculture
• Roads and transport

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Criteria for Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Yojana (MAY / MATS) are:

• The candidate must be engaged as an apprentice by an establishment through a registered apprenticeship contract under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• The candidate (and the establishment) must register on the national apprenticeship portal.
• The minimum age is 14 years (18 years for hazardous trades), as prescribed under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• The candidate must possess the minimum educational qualification required for the specific trade or category of apprenticeship.
• Eligible apprentices need valid bank and identification details required for processing the applicable NAPS-2 DBT support.
• The applicant must satisfy the physical fitness standards prescribed for the trade.

Required Documents

To apply under Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Training Scheme (MATS), candidates should keep the following documents ready:

• Aadhaar card
• Educational certificates (Certificates or Mark sheets)
• Bank account details (Aadhaar-linked)
• Passport-size photographs

Steps to Apply

Participation under MATS involves online registration by the establishment as well as the candidate, followed by stipend payment. The steps are explained below.

Online Registration Process for Students and Industries

• Participating establishments and candidates complete the applicable registration process on the National Apprenticeship Portal.
• After registration, the candidate can search for available apprenticeship opportunities posted by establishments and apply for suitable trades/positions.
• After candidates apply for available opportunities, the participating establishment follows its applicable selection process.
• The selected candidate and the establishment sign a formal apprenticeship contract.
• This contract is registered under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• Once the contract is registered, the apprenticeship training begins.

Stipend Payment Process

Once the apprenticeship begins, the stipend is paid by the employer, and the government shares follow.

• The employer pays the prescribed stipend to the apprentice, while eligible government support is released according to the applicable NAPS-2/MAY payment mechanism.
• The Central share of 25 per cent, capped at Rs. 1,500 per month, is credited to the apprentice’s bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer.

Mukhyamantri Apprenticeship Yojana Last Date and Application Status

Readers frequently search for the last date and the current application status, so the official position is stated clearly in points below.

• The scheme does not operate through a single common application window.
• Apprenticeship vacancies arise from the requirements of individual establishments, so each establishment announces its own intake.
• No consolidated official notification has been issued with a final date.
• No single year-wise application calendar or common schedule has been identified for the scheme.
• Candidates should track vacancy announcements published by establishments on the official apprenticeship portal.
• Candidates should keep their portal profile active and updated, so that they can apply as soon as a vacancy opens in their trade and district.

Relevant Links

• Labour, Skill Development & Employment Department, Gujarat Portal
• Skill India Portal

Contact Information 

• Labour, Skill Development & Employment Department, Gujarat Contact Details