SHIVAMOGGA: Karnataka has emerged as one of the leading states in implementing the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), but apprenticeship opportunities remain unevenly distributed, with more than half of its districts recording fewer than 5,000 trainees.
Data tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday showed that 4,47,703 apprentices have been engaged under NAPS in Karnataka between 2018-19 and June 30, 2026, through 3,189 participating establishments.
However, district-wise figures reveal significant disparities. Of Karnataka's 31 districts, 18 have recorded fewer than 5,000 apprentices under the scheme.
These include Dakshina Kannada (4,783), Haveri (2,826), Koppal (2,923), Mandya (2,176), Raichur (2,172), Uttara Kannada (1,823), Udupi (1,396), Bidar (1,168), Bagalkote (1,013), Davanagere (915), Shivamogga (882), Vijayapura (856), Gadag (758), Chitradurga (665), Kodagu (627), Chikkamagaluru (463), Vijayanagar (460) and Yadgir (117).
At the other end of the spectrum, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 2,16,391 apprentices, nearly half of the state's total.
Bengaluru Rural recorded 59,752 apprentices, followed by Ramanagara (53,484), Mysuru (18,739), Kolar (16,727) and Belagavi (10,731).
The variation is also reflected in the number of establishments participating in the scheme. Bengaluru Urban had 1,756 establishments engaging apprentices, compared with just 17 in Yadgir, 23 in Vijayanagar, 29 in Kodagu, and 33 each in Gadag and Chikkamagaluru.
The figures were released in response to an unstarred question raised by Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra in the Lok Sabha on the implementation of the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme-2 (NAPS-2).
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said the scheme provides stipend support through direct benefit transfer (DBT) and promotes apprenticeship training in industries under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
Nationally, 52.98 lakh apprentices have been engaged under the scheme between 2018-19 and June 30, 2026, through 57,945 establishments, including 38,936 MSMEs, registered on the apprenticeship portal.
The ministry also said apprenticeship opportunities are being expanded through Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes and in emerging sectors such as information technology, biotechnology, renewable energy, electronics, semiconductors, drones and logistics. Karnataka received a stipend of Rs 98.78 crore through DBT under the scheme.
The ministry said a third-party evaluation of NAPS conducted by the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM) indicated "positive employment outcomes under the scheme."
The study reported that around 72% of apprentices were offered full-time employment after completing their apprenticeship training, it said.
