COVID-19 takes a toll on hiring of apprentices, sentiment among large and medium business remain positive
Source | economictimes.indiatimes.com | Sreeradha Basu
Kolkata: The ongoing pandemic has taken a toll on the hiring of apprentices, though sentiment among large and medium businesses — particularly those in manufacturing and services — is more positive, compared with the small ones which have been hit the hardest.
Around 46% of employers covered in a recent survey intend to increase apprentice hiring in the half year started on July 1, while 13% expect a decrease in hiring and 41% see no change. That puts the net apprenticeship outlook (NAO) for July-December 2020 at 33%, according to a TeamLease Skills University report shared with ET.
In spite of the decline in NAO for the current half year, the percentage of employers who intend to increase hiring of apprentices has gone up from 41% in July-December 2019 to 46% in the ongoing six-month period. The NAO for January-June 2020 was projected at as high as 69% but the lockdown led to a lot of hiring intentions not materialising. The current status is that 61% employers across sectors and cities have put hiring on hold, while 24% are increasing numbers.