Dev runs a food processing factory, but the attrition rate in his establishment is high. Most of his employees have studied food processing technology. Dev wonders whether it would be a good idea to hire apprentices and train them so that they can replace the employees who quit. However, he is unsure of his obligations.

The rules and regulations that have to be followed while hiring and training apprentices are given by the 'Apprentices Act, 1961, and the 'Apprenticeship Rules', 1992. According to the act, an employer can hire apprentices and provide training to them if he has at least 6 employees. However, the employer is not obligated to run an apprenticeship program unless he has at least 40 employees.

This article covers the following topics:

• Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6: Who is Eligible to Become an Apprentice?
• Details that Have to Be Filled out in the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Terms to Know Before Filling out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Reasons for Filling out Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Conditions Employers Have to Fulfil Before They Fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Conclusion
• Key Takeaways

The 'Apprentices Act' applies to the whole of India. The employer and the apprentice enter into a contract which defines conditions that the parties in the contract have agreed upon provided the terms do not conflict with the provisions of the act or the rules.

The apprenticeship training commences on the date on which the employer and the apprentice enter into a contract. Employers have to upload the contract on https://www.apprenticeship.gov.in within seven days from the date of signing the contract for verification and registration.

Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6: Who is Eligible to Become an Apprentice?

• Employers are expected to provide practical training to qualified people in technical and non-technical fields. Trainees must be physically fit and should have the right educational qualifications so that they can be registered as apprentices and employers can fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• The minimum age for an apprentice is 14 years provided he is not working under hazardous conditions. In case the work environment is unsafe, then the minimum age to become an apprentice is 18 years
• Apprentices have to become skilled craftsmen before the period of training ends, so they have to attend practical and instructional classes regularly
• They have to shoulder their responsibilities under the contract of apprenticeship since employers have to fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 in which they have to mention the training undergone and the progress made by the apprentices
• They have to be willing to learn their trade conscientiously and diligently since details regarding their shortcomings have to be recorded in Apprentice Form 6
• Once the training is complete, the apprentices can opt to take the test that is conducted by the National Council for Vocational Training

Details that Have to Be Filled out in the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6

Every employer has to maintain a record of the work done and the studies undertaken by the apprentices engaged in his establishment for each quarter by filling out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6. The form mentions the subject chosen by the apprentice and asks for the following details:

Name of the apprentice, the registration no, name of the establishment, date of commencement of training, area of training during the quarter and the progress report for the quarter.

The progress report mentions the apprentice's aptitude for training, his performance during the quarter, his shortcomings if any and the reaction of the trainee to corrective action regarding his shortcomings. Trainees are assessed as very good, good or unfit for the job based on their performance. The Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 has the signature of the officer or executive in charge of training, remarks if any and signature of the manager of the industry or establishment.

Terms to Know Before Filling out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6

• It is important to understand the term 'Apprenticeship' before filling out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6. An apprenticeship program allows employers to develop and prepare the future workforce. Trainees can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, mentorship, and a nationally-recognized credential
• An 'apprentice' is defined as a trainee and not a worker. Labour laws do not apply to an apprentice. However, the 'Factories Act', 1948, 'Mines Act', 1952 and 'Employees Compensation Act', 1923 do apply when it concerns the health, safety and welfare of the apprentice
• While filling out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6, a person who is undergoing apprenticeship training in accordance with the contract of apprenticeship is designated as an apprentice
• 'Apprenticeship training' has been defined by the act as a course of training that an apprentice has undergone in an establishment in accordance with the contract signed by the employer and the trainee. The Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 requires the employer to fill out details regarding apprentice training. The terms of the contract may be slightly different for different categories of apprentices, but the terms cannot contradict the provisions of the Act
• An employer is a person who employs people to do any work in an establishment for remuneration. Even someone who has been entrusted with the supervision and control of employees in such establishments is considered an employer, so he will have to fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• An establishment is defined as any place where an industry operates. The establishment consists of different departments or branches situated in the same place or in different places. Every department or branch is considered as a part of the establishment in Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6

Reasons for Filling out Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6

• Employers are expected to provide practical training to qualified people in technical and non-technical fields, so they are required to fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice form 6
• The benefits of the training provided by the employers to trainees have to be assessed since the training is meant to meet the increasing demand for skilled craftsmen. Hence, employers are required to fill out Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Employers are required to utilize facilities that are available for training apprentices in an efficient manner. They are required to fill out Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 so that the efficiency of their training can be assessed
• Employers have to maintain records regarding the shortcomings of their apprentices and the progress made as a result of corrective action. The details of the report have to be mentioned in the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Employers have to be prepared to furnish information regarding apprenticeship training at predefined intervals since the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 has to be filled out for each quarter

Conditions Employers Have to Fulfil Before They Fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6

• Only employers with six or more workers are eligible to engage apprentices. However, if the number of employees is less than 40 then the establishment is not obligated to engage an apprentice, so there is no need to fill out Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• If establishments do not hire the right number of apprentices in accordance with the Act, filling out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 does not absolve them from the crime. Employers are punished with a fine of five hundred rupees for the first three months for every apprentice they fail to hire. Thereafter the crime is punishable with a fine of one thousand rupees per month till the right number of apprentices are hired
• The number of apprentices to be trained are ascertained on the basis of the number of workers employed in the establishment directly or indirectly. Employers have to hire apprentices such that their number is between 2.5 percent to 10 percent of the total strength of the establishment including contractual staff
• Every employer has to disclose his intention to engage an apprentice on https://www.apprenticeship.gov.in
• Only those employers who are willing to provide proper training to apprentices should fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• If employers are not qualified in their trade, then they have to appoint a qualified trainer or instructor so that the trainees receive the guidance they need and their progress can be stated on the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Only employers who are willing to shoulder their obligations under the contract of apprenticeship should appoint apprentices and fill out Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 each quarter as expected
• Several employers can come together by themselves or through an approved agency and provide apprenticeship training to their apprentices. The cost of training apprentices can thus be shared among employers. Such employers should fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• An employer does not have to offer employment to the trainees after their training period is over. However, he can recruit trainees who have completed the apprenticeship training if he chooses to hire them. Regardless of whether or not he hires trainees as employees, he has to fill out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• If the employers neglect to furnish any information in the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6, or if they furnish false information or returns, it is a punishable offense. Refusing to answer necessary questions and not offering reasonable facilities to the apprentice is also considered a crime. Asking the apprentice to perform work not connected with his training, not paying the apprentice properly and making the apprentice work overtime is also considered wrong. Engaging apprentices who are not properly qualified and failing to carry out the terms and obligations of the contract of apprenticeship is a punishable offence. All the aforementioned crimes carry a fine of Rs. 1,000 per crime
• Establishments have to access the site https://apprenticeshipindia.org/ and register themselves online for the apprenticeship programme if they choose to opt for Optional Trades. In case they opt for Designated Trades, they would need to register on https://www.apprenticeship.gov.in/
• In every designated trade the employers have to reserve training places for SC, ST and backward classes. The number of training places to be reserved for SC and ST have to be according to the 'Apprenticeship Rules'. In the case of backward classes, the number of training places to be reserved has to be in accordance with the norms that have to be followed in the state or union territory under consideration. This condition has to be fulfilled before filling out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Different standards are meant for apprentices training in different trades and for different categories of apprentices. The period of training for all trades has been specified. These points have to be kept in mind while filling the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6

Conclusion

The write-up is incomplete without mentioning that an internship is different from an apprenticeship even though people often use the terms interchangeably.

• Internships are typically short term and they last for 1-3 months. Apprenticeships are comparatively long term and they last for 1-3 years
• The aim of an apprenticeship is to help the trainee master specific skills, so it includes a training plan that focuses on helping the apprentice learn skills. Apprenticeships can help the employer fill positions within their organization. However, offering employment to trainees is not necessary. Internships, on the other hand, focus on entry-level work rather than helping the intern master specific skills
• Apprentices are trained individually by a mentor who helps them navigate through their entire process. Interns on the other hand are not mentored individually
• Apprentices are always paid. Sometimes government bears the cost of paying the apprentices. Interns are often unpaid
• Apprentices receive an industry-recognized credential on completion of their training. Interns typically don't receive any credentials

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Key Takeaways

• Employers have to fill out Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 each quarter
• Keeping a record of the progress made by the apprentice is the reason for filling out the apprentice form 6
• Employers can hire apprentices if they have at least 6 employees. However, it is not mandatory for them to hire apprentices unless the number of employees is at least 40
• There are several details that have to be filled out in Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6. The name of the apprentice, the registration no, name of the establishment, date of commencement of training, area of training during the quarter and progress report for the quarter are the details to be filled in the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• The progress report mentions the apprentice’s aptitude for training, his performance during the quarter, his shortcomings if any and the reaction of the trainee to corrective action regarding his shortcomings
• Trainees are assessed as very good, good or unfit for the job bases on their performance. The Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6 has the signature of the officer or executive in charge of training, remarks if any and signature of the manager of industry or establishment
• The number of apprentices hired is a percentage of the number of workers in the establishment. Employers have to hire apprentices such that their number is between 2.5 percent to 10 percent of the total strength of the establishment including contractual staff
• There are several terms like an employer, employee, establishment, apprentice and apprenticeship that the employers need to Know Before Filling Out the Record of Progress of Apprentice Form 6
• Employers have to fulfill several duties before they fill out Record of Progress of Apprentice form 6
• Apprentices also have to fulfill the minimum standard of education and physical fitness before they become eligible to be called apprentices

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