Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Qualifications for being engaged as an apprentice.—A person shall not be qualified for being engaged as an apprentice to undergo apprenticeship training in any designated trade, unless he— 1[(a) is not less than fourteen years of age, and for designated trades related to hazardous industries, not less than eighteen years of age; and] (b) satisfies such standards of education and physical fitness as may be prescribed: Provided that different standards may be prescribed in relation to apprenticeship training in different designated trades2[and for different categories of apprentices]. 3[3A. Reservation of training places for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in designated trades.—(1) In every designated trade, training places shall be reserved by the employer for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes 4[and where there is more than one designated trade in an establishment, such training places shall be reserved also on the basis of the total number of apprentices in all the designated trades in such establishment]. (2) The number of training places to be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes under sub-section (1) shall be such as may be prescribed, having regard to the population of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the State concerned. Explanation.—In this section, the expressions “Scheduled Castes” and “Scheduled Tribes” shall have the meanings as in clauses (24) and (25) of article 366 of the Constitution.] 5[3B. Reservation of training places for Other Backward Classes in designated trades.—(1) In every designated trade, training places shall be reserved by the employer for the Other Backward Classes and where there is more than one designated trade in an establishment, such training places shall be reserved also on the basis of the total number of apprentices in all the designated trades in such establishment. (2) The number of training places to be reserved for the Other Backward Classes under sub-section (1) shall be such as may be prescribed, having regard to the population of the Other Backward Classes in the State concerned.] 6[4. Contract of apprenticeship.—(1) No person shall be engaged as an apprentice to undergo apprenticeship training in a designated trade unless such person or, if he is a minor, his guardian has entered into a contract of apprenticeship with the employer. (2) The apprenticeship training shall be deemed to have commenced on the date on which the contract of apprenticeship has been entered into under sub-section (1). (3) Every contract of apprenticeship may contain such terms and conditions as may be agreed to by the parties to the contract: Provided that no such term or condition shall be inconsistent with any provision of this Act or any rule made thereunder. 7[(4) Every contract of apprenticeship entered into under sub-section (1) shall be sent by the employer within thirty days to the Apprenticeship Adviser until a portal-site is developed by the Central Government, and thereafter the details of contract of apprenticeship shall be entered on the portal-site within seven days, for verification and registration.