Apprenticeship is set to become a central part of undergraduate education in Maharashtra’s state universities starting from the academic year 2025–26, as the government gears up to implement the Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP). This move comes shortly after the University Grants Commission (UGC) released its guidelines for AEDP in March, and now, a Government Resolution (GR) issued last Friday has formalized its rollout across all non-agricultural universities in the state.
With the rising demand for industry-ready professionals, the AEDP initiative is being hailed as a progressive step toward reshaping higher education to match real-world needs. The programme aims to combine traditional academic instruction with practical, hands-on experience through structured apprenticeships in relevant sectors.
What AEDP Brings to the Table
Under this model, each university is required to enrol a minimum of 300 students in the AEDP from the upcoming academic session. The goal is clear—to ensure that students don’t just graduate with degrees but also with skills and experience that make them employable from day one.
An official from the Higher and Technical Education Department noted, “AEDP aims to provide employment-ready students for the industry. This will combine classroom instruction with hands-on training in industries.”
Strong Industry-Academia Collaboration
The success of AEDP lies in collaboration. Universities will be working closely with:
- Industry representatives
- Sector Skill Councils
- Skill development departments
- Business houses
- National and regional apprenticeship training boards
These partnerships will help in identifying industry-specific roles where students can gain real-time exposure while pursuing their degrees. Each university is expected to align with sectors that match its academic strengths and regional opportunities.
Redesigning the Curriculum for Relevance
The curriculum under AEDP will be tailored to reflect industry expectations. Each semester will carry 20–22 credits, including:
- Major and minor academic subjects
- Apprenticeship training in live industry settings
- Skill development modules
- Open or general electives across disciplines
This blended structure ensures that students not only develop domain knowledge but also acquire versatile workplace skills through multidisciplinary electives and on-the-job learning.
Benefits for Students and Employers
For students, AEDP provides an invaluable edge—they will graduate with practical experience in hand, better communication and soft skills, and a deeper understanding of workplace culture. It eliminates the common gap between finishing education and starting a job, making them more attractive to employers.
Industries, on the other hand, benefit from access to a trained, pre-evaluated talent pool, saving on recruitment and training costs. Since the students are already familiar with their systems and work environments, integration into full-time roles becomes smoother and more efficient.
The Road Ahead
As the 2025–26 academic year draws closer, universities are expected to initiate groundwork including syllabus revision, identification of apprenticeship providers, and orientation for faculty and students. Coordination cells will also be set up within institutions to streamline the integration of apprenticeship with academic learning.
This marks a transformative shift in how degrees are awarded and how students are prepared for careers. By embedding apprenticeships within higher education, Maharashtra is taking a bold and necessary step to ensure its graduates are not just knowledgeable, but truly job-ready.
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