Feasibility and benefit assessment
How many apprentices your establishment can engage, against which trades, and what the programme is realistically worth to you.
Solutions · NAPS/NATS Apprenticeship
NAPS Apprenticeships, Run End to End
Portal registration, candidate sourcing, contract execution, training coordination, stipend disbursal and statutory reporting under both the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme and the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme. You get trained entry-level talent. We handle the administration behind it.
NAPS is simple to understand. The work is in administering it.
NAPS is a Government of India scheme, administered under the Apprentices Act, 1961, that encourages employers to engage apprentices by sharing part of the cost. Apprentices receive structured on-the-job training with a monthly stipend, and the employer receives a share of that stipend back as reimbursement, subject to the conditions in force.
NATS, the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme, runs alongside it under the same Act but reaches a different intake. Where NAPS covers trade apprentices, NATS covers graduate, diploma and vocational apprentices, which in practice means engineering and technology students who need structured industry training before they are employable. It is administered through the regional Boards of Apprenticeship Training rather than through the skills ministry, so the portal, the paperwork and the claim route are not the same ones NAPS uses. Most employers end up running both, because between them they cover the shop floor and the technical bench.
Together they do three things at once. They give you entry-level people trained on your own equipment and processes. They reduce the net cost of that training period. And they build a pipeline of candidates who can be absorbed into regular employment already knowing the site.
The administration is where the effort sits: establishment registration and trade mapping on the government portal, sourcing candidates in the right qualification and age band, executing and recording contracts correctly, maintaining training records, and following through on the claim. Each step is ordinary work, and each one has to be right for the reimbursement to hold.
We run it as a managed programme, which is what makes it repeatable.
What SourceIT handles
The whole programme, from working out whether it is worth running to absorbing the apprentices who finish it.
Establishment and portal registration
Registration and configuration on the apprenticeship portal, including establishment details and trade selection.
Trade and eligibility mapping
Apprentices mapped against designated or optional trades with the right qualification profile, which is what the claim ultimately rests on.
Candidate sourcing and screening
Sourcing eligible candidates in the right qualification and age profile, locally to your site.
Contract execution
Apprenticeship contracts drawn, executed and registered correctly, and recorded on the portal.
Training coordination
Coordination of basic training and on-the-job training records with your line supervisors.
Stipend disbursal
Monthly stipend processing and disbursal with a complete payment record, which is the evidence the claim depends on.
Statutory reporting and claims
Periodic returns and reimbursement claims filed to schedule, with status reported back to you.
Absorption support
Converting completed apprentices into regular or contract roles where you want to retain them.
Apprentices are a distinct category, with distinct obligations
An apprentice engaged under the Apprentices Act, 1961 is a trainee. They are not contract labour and they are not employees, and the relationship is governed by the apprenticeship contract and the Act rather than by ordinary employment law. That distinction is the reason a programme needs to be set up deliberately.
Our compliance management team handles these obligations as part of the programme, in the same way it handles contract labour compliance. Apprentices must also meet the minimum working age prescribed under the Act, and their personal data is processed for registration, stipend disbursement and statutory reporting.
What engaging an apprentice requires
Establishment registered on the apprenticeship portal, with trades correctly selected.
Apprentices engaged against designated or optional trades with the right qualification profile.
Apprenticeship contracts executed and registered, not merely signed.
Stipend paid at or above the prescribed rate, on a monthly cycle, with a complete payment record.
Training records maintained through the programme, for both basic and on-the-job training.
Prescribed training duration and hours adhered to for the trade.
Periodic returns filed, and reimbursement claims submitted within their window.
What runs every month
A programme is not set up once. These are the items that recur for as long as it runs.
Apprentice attendance captured and recorded
Training records updated with line supervisors
Stipend computed and disbursed on the monthly cycle
Payment records retained as claim evidence
Portal records kept current for joiners and exits
Periodic statutory returns prepared and filed
Reimbursement claims submitted within the window
Claim status tracked and reported back to you
Completion and absorption decisions flagged in advance
The claim rests on the stipend record
Reimbursement depends on accurate stipend disbursal records and timely submission, which is why we run the disbursal ourselves, rather than reporting on someone else's. A programme can be delivered perfectly and still fall short at the claim if the payment evidence is incomplete.
What an employer gets from an apprenticeship programme
For an operation with continuous entry-level hiring, the combination is unusually well matched to the actual problem.
Trained entry-level headcount
Apprentices learn on your equipment, your processes and your safety standards, so absorption into regular roles is far smoother than external hiring.
Reduced net training cost
Government reimbursement covers a share of the stipend, subject to the conditions in force at the time.
A structured talent pipeline
A continuous intake, so attrition does not trigger a scramble.
Demonstrable skilling contribution
Relevant to customer audits, ESG reporting and public sector or multinational supply chain requirements.
Estimate what your company could claim
Tell us your sector, how many apprentices you could take and which trades. We will come back within one working day with an estimate of your annual stipend reimbursement and what running the programme would involve.
Establishment review and apprentice capacity
Trade mapping against your roles
Eligibility position under the conditions in force
Indicative annual reimbursement
Programme timeline to first apprentices on site
What we would run and what stays with your team
Estimate Your NAPS Benefit
Talk to an Expert
Figures are estimated against the notification in force at the time of the assessment, and are confirmed before you commit to anything.
Frequently asked questions about NAPS/NATS apprenticeships
What is NAPS?
The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme is a Government of India scheme under the Apprentices Act, 1961 that supports employers engaging apprentices by reimbursing a share of the stipend paid, subject to the conditions in force. Apprentices receive structured on-the-job training with a monthly stipend.
What is NATS, and how is it different from NAPS?
The National Apprenticeship Training Scheme sits under the same Apprentices Act, 1961, but covers a different intake: graduate, diploma and vocational apprentices, rather than the trade apprentices NAPS covers. It is administered through the regional Boards of Apprenticeship Training rather than through the skills ministry, which means a different portal, different paperwork and a different claim route. We run both, and for most employers the sensible answer is both, because one reaches the shop floor and the other reaches the technical and engineering bench.
Which companies are eligible for NAPS?
Establishments registered on the apprenticeship portal and engaging apprentices against designated or optional trades in line with the Act. Eligibility conditions, including establishment size thresholds, are set by notification and are confirmed for your establishment during the assessment.
How much reimbursement does an employer receive?
A share of the monthly stipend, up to a prescribed ceiling, subject to the conditions in force. Because these are set by notification and change, we confirm the current position against your trades and headcount during the benefit assessment, which is why no figure is quoted here.
Are apprentices considered employees?
No. An apprentice engaged under the Apprentices Act is a trainee, not an employee, and the relationship is governed by the apprenticeship contract and the Act rather than by ordinary employment law. Setting the engagement up on that basis from the start is part of what we handle.
Can apprentices be absorbed as permanent employees afterwards?
Yes. Absorption after completion is common and is one of the main commercial reasons employers run apprenticeship programmes. SourceIT supports the transition into regular or contract employment.
How long does a NAPS/NATS apprenticeship last?
Duration depends on the trade and is prescribed under the Act and its regulations. The applicable duration for your trades is confirmed at trade mapping, before contracts are executed.
What is the difference between NAPS and NATS?
They are two separate apprenticeship schemes and an establishment can run both. NAPS, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, is administered through the apprenticeship portal and is the route most employers use for trade and fresher apprentices. NATS, the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme, is administered through the Boards of Apprenticeship Training and is the route for graduate, diploma and technician apprentices. The distinction that matters in practice is the candidate: which scheme applies follows from the qualification the apprentice already holds and the trade you are training in. We establish which route fits each requirement and run the registration, contracts, stipend and reporting on whichever applies.
Can SourceIT run NAPS if you do not supply our other staffing?
Yes. NAPS/NATS programme management is available as a standalone service, independent of any staffing engagement.
Runs alongside the rest of the stack
Recruitment & Staffing
Contract and temporary deployment, including the roles apprentices are absorbed into on completion.
Learn more
Industrial Staffing
The skilled trades an apprentice is training towards, staffed directly where you need them sooner.
Learn more
Compliance Management
Apprenticeship compliance alongside contract labour compliance, handled by the same team.
Learn moreFind out what a programme is worth.
Then decide.
Tell us your sector, your trades and how many apprentices you could take. We will come back with an assessment of capacity, eligibility and indicative benefit, so the decision is made on numbers, rather than on impressions.