New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS): Aiming to boost career opportunities for India's youth under Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will hold the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela (PMNAM) on December 12, across 197 locations in 25 states and Union Territories.

Several local businesses have been invited to be a part of the mela to provide local youth with the opportunity to shape their careers through apprenticeship training. The event will witness the participation of various companies from different sectors. Participating companies will have the chance to meet potential apprentices on a single platform and choose applicants on the spot and provide them with an opportunity to be a part of their organisation.

Candidates who have passed Class 5 to Class 12 and have skill training certificates, or ITI Diploma holders or graduates can apply during this apprenticeship mela. The candidates must carry three copies of their resume, three copies of all the marksheets and certificates, photo ID (Aadhaar card/driving licence etc) and three passport size photographs to the respective venues.

Expressing his views on the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela, Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said "India has often been compared to other developed economies in terms of apprenticeship opportunities for the youth of today. To bridge this gap, we are trying our best to make apprenticeship opportunities reachable to trainees and students."

With our continuous efforts, our goal is to raise apprenticeship opportunities in India to 10 lakhs by end of 2022, and to 60 lakhs by 2026, added the official.

Apprenticeship melas are hosted in the country every month, wherein selected individuals receive a monthly stipend in accordance with government criteria for gaining new skills. Apprenticeship is considered the most sustainable model of skill development, and has been given a boost under Skill India Mission.

The government is striving to train 1 million youth per annum through apprenticeship training and to fulfil this mission, PMNAM is being used as a platform to increase the participation of establishments and students. It is also providing awareness to the youth on various opportunities existing across the participating companies.