TeamLease Degreeย Apprenticeshipย unveils data showcasing a surge inย femaleย apprenticeshipย across theย Manufacturingย &ย Servicesย sectors. This significant milestone marks a monumental shift towards gender inclusivity. From traditional male-dominatedย manufacturingย shop floor roles toย Future of Work profiles involving AI, ML, and Data sciences, women apprentices are being deployed to catapult organisational productivity and foster a positive work culture.
This surge inย femaleย apprenticeshipย enrollmentย not only reflects the growing momentum towards gender equality but also signifies a paradigm shift in the roles women are undertaking. In recent decades,ย IT & Retailย have been significant employers for women, with females constitutingย nearly 36% & 35% of the workforce respectively.ย GCC, BFSI, and Retail & Logistics industries have witnessed a 33% YOY surge inย femaleย apprenticeshipย hiring and are expected to witness a 70% YOY increase in the next 3 years.ย ย However,ย sectorsย such asย Tourism & Hospitality, Logistics and Telecomย are projected to face significantย skill gaps in the next three yearsโ24 million, 10 million and 5.3 million respectively
According to the data:
- In theย Manufacturingย sector, TeamLease Degreeย Apprenticeshipย has witnessed a remarkableย 5X increase in demand forย femaleย apprentices in the past 8-10 months.
- Within theย Servicesย sector,ย femaleย apprenticeshipย participationย has surged by 33%ย year over year in the last two years, especially among GCC, BFSI, and Retail and logistics industries. It is expected to witness a 70% year over year increase in the next threeyears, indicating a growing recognition of the importance of genderย diversityย in fostering innovation and creativity.
AR Ramesh, CEO of TeamLease Degreeย Apprenticeship, underscores the significance of fosteringย femaleย participation in apprenticeships, stating, “While women now constitute 21% of apprentices, there’s still room for growth. Higher degree-embedded programs, like Degree Apprenticeships, can accelerate women participation, especially from rural and socio-economic backgrounds. Organisations must create a pipeline of women’s talent via entry-level hiring combined with learning to address DE&I goals. With the recent PLFS Report indicating that women participation reached anย all-time high of 37% in 2022-23,ย the active participation of women in non-farm labour could boostย India’s economy by 9-10% annually.”
To further enhance participation and support women in theirย apprenticeshipย journeys, initiatives such asย increased seats exclusively for females, moreย femaleย trainers, flexible training schedules, digital platforms for connecting skilled women with employers, and community outreach programs are being implemented by various agencies.
“Driven by a remarkable 5X increase in demand forย femaleย apprentices over the last 8-10 months, we anticipate the representation of women apprentices to reach 40% by year-end. This surge underscores the industry’s commitment to inclusive work environments, propelled by efforts across emerging segments like EV, Electronics, and Technology Products and traditionalย sectorsย such as Auto, Auto Components, and Engineering. Moreover, while gender-specific budget allocations are missing from several schemes, the training programs in place have unique initiatives geared towards women and incentives designed to stimulate their involvement in the skill ecosystem. Additionally, the budget for women’s training through the National Skill Training Institutes has substantially increased from around 64 cores in 2022โ2023 to approximately 68 crores in 2023-24, highlighting skill development growth. Notably about 70% of women under apprenticeships inย manufacturingย are from rural and semi-urban areas. The Government of India’s Skill India Mission, including the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s Vocational Training Program for women, plays a pivotal role in facilitating this transition, saysย Sumit Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer, TeamLease Degreeย Apprenticeship.
Dhriti Prasanna Mahanta, Vice President and Business Head of TeamLease Degreeย Apprenticeshipย adds, โย Formalisation and skill development through higher education embedded work-based programs will be crucial to bridging this gap and meeting productivity expectations, given the current unsustainable gender participation ratio.โ
