UP places over 83k youth as apprentices in industries in 2025-26 | Lucknow News
Lucknow: As part of its resolve to strengthen skill development and promote employment-oriented training, the UP govt placed 83,277 youth as apprentices in industrial and MSME units in 2025-26, officials said on Wednesday.The initiative, part of the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the CM Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (CMAPS), aims to provide hands-on exposure in manufacturing, services, and small and medium enterprises, following the govt’s “earn while you learn” model. Minister of state (independent charge) for vocational education, skill development and entrepreneurship, Kapil Dev Agarwal said the programme equips youth not just with certification but with real-world work experience, ensuring meaningful industry linkages and potential self-employment opportunities.
Officials said the schemes offer reimbursement facilities to both apprentices and participating establishments, providing financial support to trainees during the programme while encouraging industries to engage more youth. Over the past four years, 795 new establishments registered on the apprenticeship portal, expanding training opportunities across districts. Additionally, 6,164 candidates benefited under the CMAPS initiative.“These efforts are improving employability by combining skill training with practical industrial exposure,” Agarwal said, adding that the state is emerging as a hub of skilled manpower under CM Yogi’s leadership.The govt highlighted that sustained skill development initiatives over the past nine years enabled more than four lakh trained youth to secure employment in industrial establishments, reflecting UP’s growing stature as a centre for skilled human resources.Officials said the state is further working to strengthen digital platforms, simplify procedures, and deepen coordination with industries, start-ups and MSMEs to expand apprenticeship coverage. They said that a skilled and self-reliant youth workforce would not only generate employment for itself but also drive industrial growth and enhance the state’s investment climate.
