NATS apprenticeship Guide : If you’re a fresh graduate or diploma holder in India wondering how to turn your degree into real workplace experience, the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) is one of the most direct routes available. Run by the Ministry of Education, NATS connects technically qualified students with companies — including big names like HAL, BHEL, ISRO, and DRDO — for paid, hands-on training. Here’s how enrollment actually works, explained in plain language.
What NATS Is
NATS is a government scheme that places fresh graduates and diploma holders into a one-year apprenticeship at a real organisation, where you earn a monthly stipend, gain practical skills, and finish with a government-recognised certificate.
Who Can Enroll
You’re generally eligible if you are:
- A graduate or diploma holder in engineering or technology
- A graduate in a non-engineering or general stream
- A +2 vocational pass-out (depending on the field)
A few important notes. You need to have actually completed your course — final-year students still awaiting results usually can’t enroll until they have their certificate. Your institute should be listed on the NATS portal (if it isn’t, you can request that it be added). And to receive your stipend, you’ll need an Aadhaar-linked bank account.
Where Enrollment Happens
Everything runs through the official NATS 2.0 portal at nats.education.gov.in. There’s a toll-free helpline (1800-425-3770) if you get stuck. Be careful to register on the right portal — NATS is for engineering and diploma graduates, while ITI and 10+2 candidates fall under a separate scheme (NAPS) with its own portal.
The Enrollment Process, Step by Step
The whole thing breaks down into a few clear stages.
1. Create your account. Go to the portal, choose “Student Registration,” and enter your email, mobile number, and the captcha. You’ll get an OTP on your phone and a verification email — confirm both to move forward.
2. Fill in the registration form. This is split into a few sections: personal information (name, date of birth, gender, Aadhaar), education details (course, college, specialisation, year of passing, and your percentage or CGPA), and your training preferences (the field and location you’d like to train in). You’ll also add your bank account details so your stipend can be paid.
3. Review and submit. Double-check everything in the preview screen — small errors here can slow down approval later — then hit submit. You’ll receive your User ID and password. Save or print these; you’ll need them to log in.
4. Wait for verification. Your registration is reviewed before it goes live. Approval typically takes somewhere in the range of one to two weeks, depending on how many applications are in the queue.
5. Apply to vacancies. Once you’re verified, log in and browse the apprenticeship openings posted by companies. Each listing shows the role, duration, location, and required qualifications. Apply to several at once rather than waiting on a single one, and check back every few days — new vacancies are added continuously.
6. Accept the contract. When an establishment selects you, they’ll send a contract request. You accept it on the portal, which then goes to the regional Board of Apprenticeship Training (BOAT) for final confirmation. Once confirmed, you can download your contract and begin training.
Important Links
What You Get Out of It
During the apprenticeship you receive a monthly stipend — for engineering and diploma graduates this commonly falls in roughly the ₹9,000 to ₹12,300 range, though the exact amount depends on the employer and your qualification, and rates are reviewed periodically. Stipends are meant to be paid by around the 10th of the following month.
At the end, you receive a Certificate of Proficiency (the National Apprenticeship Certificate) from the Government of India. This counts as valid work experience and can be registered at employment exchanges across the country — a real advantage when you start applying for full-time roles.
A Few Tips Before You Start
Keep scanned copies of your key documents ready before you begin, so you’re not scrambling mid-form: your Aadhaar, academic certificates, and bank details. Register first and apply second — you can’t apply to any company until your profile is verified. And treat the vacancy search as an ongoing activity rather than a one-time check, since openings appear throughout the year.
The Bottom Line
NATS enrollment isn’t complicated once you see the shape of it: register on the portal, complete your profile, get verified, apply to vacancies, accept an offer, and start training. The hardest part is usually just staying patient through verification and persistent in the vacancy search. For a fresh graduate, it’s a low-risk way to build genuine experience, earn while you learn, and walk away with a credential that employers recognise.
Note: portal procedures, stipend rates, and eligibility details can change. Always confirm the latest information on the official portal at nats.education.gov.in before applying.