PM Setu currently focuses on limited ITIs; to cover 15,000 institutes

PM Setu is a strong step towards upgrading infrastructure and quality in ITIs. However, it currently focuses on a limited set of around 1,000 ITIs, while India has over 15,000 such intitutes, with around 52 per cent seat utilisation and 46 per cent employability.

This shows that the challenge is not capacity, but conversion to employment. Apprenticeships complement this by embedding learning within real workplaces, ensuring that training translates into productivity and jobs at scale.

Degree apprenticeships change the sequence of learning. Instead of studying first and working later, individuals learn while they work. This creates early exposure to industry, builds confidence, and improves employability. In our experience, this model delivers over 90 per cent transition into formal employment, with 40 per cent absorbed by the same employer, making it one of the most reliable pathways to job-linked outcomes.

Talking to Bizz Buzz, Dr Nipun Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship says, “The shift required is from training supply to employment outcomes. Programs need to be designed with direct industry participation, where curriculum, training, and assessment are aligned to real roles. On-the-job exposure must become a core component, not an add-on. When learning is linked to live work environments, it naturally aligns with demand and improves readiness.”

The first priority is to enable MSMEs to participate at scale. With over 7.47 crore MSMEs employing 32.8 crore people, they represent the largest opportunity for apprenticeship-led training. Simplifying processes, improving awareness, and providing targeted incentives can unlock this segment.

Prateek Shukla, Co-Founder & CEO, Masai, says, “PM Setu creates the infrastructure but apprenticeships give it teeth. Right now, PM Setu connects skills to jobs, but the connection often stays theoretical. Apprenticeships embed young people into actual workplaces while they're still learning.

That's the missing piece.” The real power is that apprenticeships give PM Setu’s job mapping credibility. Employers trust the pipeline because young people have already demonstrated capability. That builds genuine sustainability at scale, not just placements, but placements that stick because people are actually ready.