PUNJAB APPRENTICESHIP ACT 2021

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THE PUNJAB APPRENTICESHIP ACT 2021 
 (XVII of 2021)  
CONTENTS 
 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
 
2. Definitions 
 
3. Apprenticeship contract  
 
4. Termination of apprenticeship contract 
 
5. Apprenticeship committees 
 
6. Obligations of employers 
 
7. Obligations of apprentices 
 
8. Counselling and placement service 
 
9. Advice and guidance to employer 
 
10. Powers of entry and inspection 
 
11. Delegation of powers 
 
12. Penalties and procedure 
 
13. Power to exempt 
 
14. Overriding effect 
 
15. Power to make rules 
 
16. Repeal and savings  
 
  
 
 
TEXT 
 
1
THE PUNJAB APPRENTICESHIP ACT 2021 
  (XVII of 2021) 
    [30th June 2021] 
 
An 
Act 
to promote, develop and regulate apprenticeship programmes. 
It is necessary to promote, develop and regulate apprenticeship programmes in the 
establishments; to ensure minimum standards of skills; and to provide for the 
ancillary matters. 
Be it enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows: 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .─ (1) This Act may be cited as the 
Punjab Apprenticeship Act 2021. 
(2) It extends to whole of the Punjab. 
(3) It shall come into force at once. 
2. Definitions.─‎ ln this Act: 
(a) “apprentice” means a person undergoing training in a trade in 
pursuance of an apprenticeship contract; 
(b) “apprenticeship” means a system of training in a trade which combines 
practical training at an establishment and theoretical training at an  
institute registered under the Punjab Skills Development Authority Act 
2019 (VI of 2019) or under any other law for the time being in force, 
and notified by the Competent Authority in pursuance of an 
apprenticeship contract; 
(c) “Competent Authority” means an  officer notified by the Government as 
the Competent Authority for purposes of this Act; 
(d) „„employer” means a person who employs another person in an 
establishment, either himself or through or on behalf of another person, 
and includes any person who has ul timate control over the affairs of, or 
is responsible to the owner of the establishment;  
(e) “establishment” includes an industrial, commercial, business, mining, 
exploration, or any other organization as the Competent Authority may, 
by notification in the official Gazette, specify; 
(f) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(g) “trade” means any trade or occupation or discipline in engineering, 
technology, vocation or management; 
(h)  “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules; 
                                                      
1This Act was passed by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab on 04 June 2021; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 25 
June 2021; and, was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30th June 2021, pp.10025-10029. 
 
 
(i) “rules” means the rules made under this Act;  
(j) “stipend” means a monthly emolument paid by an employer to an 
apprentice during entire period of apprenticeship at a rate of at least 
fifty percent of minimum wages as may be notified by the Government 
from time to time; and 
(k) “TEVTA” means Technica l Education and Vocational Training 
Authority, established under the Punjab Technical Education and 
Vocational Training Authority Act 2010 (X of 2010). 
3. Apprenticeship contract.─‎ (1) No person shall be engaged as an apprentice 
to undergo apprenticeship in a trade at an establishment unless such person enters 
into an apprenticeship contract with the employer on such form and format as may 
be specified by the Competent Authority. 
(2) The employer shall, within a period to be specified by the Competent 
Authority, send every apprenticeship contract entered into under subsection (1) to 
the Competent Authority for registration. 
(3) The Competent Authority shall register an apprenticeship contract if he 
is satisfied that the person described as an apprentice in  the apprenticeship contract 
fulfils such eligibility criteria as may be prescribed.  
4. Termination of apprenticeship contract .─‎ (1) Unless terminated earlier 
under subsection (2), the apprenticeship contract shall terminate on completion of 
the period of apprenticeship. 
(2)  Either party to the apprenticeship contract may at any time intimate in 
writing the other party for termina tion of the apprenticeship contract, and such 
apprenticeship contract shall stand terminated in such manner as may be 
prescribed. 
5. Apprenticeship committees .─‎ The TEVTA may, by notification in official 
Gazette, constitute such apprenticeship committees  having such composition, 
functions and terms and conditions as may be prescribed. 
6. Obligations of employers .─‎ Subject to other provisions of this Act and the 
rules, an employer shall: 
(a) ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act and the rules  in his 
establishment; 
(b) introduce and operate such apprenticeship programme in his 
establishment and in such manner as may be prescribed; 
(c) train apprentices in a proportion of minimum five percent of the total 
number of persons employed on an average  in his establishment, or in 
such other proportion as may be prescribed: 
Provided that, if an employer chooses not to train apprentices in proportion as 
required under this Act, he may get required number of persons trained from any 
other establishment at his own expense; 
 
 
(d) be responsible to ensure that an apprentice receives, within the normal 
working hours, such theoretical instructions as may be specified by 
TEVTA; 
(e) bear the cost of training of apprentices including the stipend during 
their apprent iceship within the establishment excluding the cost of 
training at an institute, which shall be borne by TEVTA; 
(f) not, without the approval in writing of the Competent Authority, engage 
any person as an apprentice who has been an apprentice with another 
employer and has left his apprenticeship or his apprenticeship has 
been terminated by such other employer on disciplinary grounds; and 
(g)  notify apprenticeship opportunities including job openings in his 
establishment on designated websites of TEVTA in s uch manner as 
the Competent Authority may specify. 
7. Obligations of apprentices .─‎ (1) Subject to other provisions of this Act and 
the rules, an apprentice shall: 
(a) learn his trade diligently and shall endeavour  to qualify himself 
as a skilled worker on the completion of his apprenticeship; 
(b) attend the apprenticeship according to the programme laid down 
by the employer; 
(c) fulfil his obligations under his apprenticeship contract and; 
(d) undergo any test or examination which may be conducted from 
time to time for assessment of his progress in apprenticeship; 
and 
(e) not, except with prior approval in writing of the Competent 
Authority, leave his apprenticeship after completion of his 
probationary period as may be prescribed. 
(2) If an apprentice has any grievance against his employer, arising of his 
apprenticeship contract, he may approach the Competent Authority for redressal of 
such grievance, and the decision of the Competent Authority thereon shall be final. 
(3) Without prejudice to anything contained in any other law for the time 
being in force, if any apprentice fails to carry out terms of the apprenticeship contract 
or, during the period of his training, voluntarily quits such apprenticeship or there are 
continued adverse reports regarding the progress of his training or he is terminated 
for misconduct which include insubordination and breach of the rules, shall be liable 
to the payment of such expenses to the establishment as may be prescribed which 
shall not be more than three stipends paid to him during period of training. 
(4) An apprentice shall obtain and get renewed on periodical basis his 
registration to be recognized as skilled worker or technician or professional in a trade 
in which he has successfully completed  apprenticeship training in such manner as 
may be prescribed. 
8. Counselling and placement service.─‎ The TEVTA shall: 
(a) establish facilities for career counselling and placement of the 
apprentices at such places and in such manner as may be prescribed; 
 
 
(b) publish periodical newsletters, information bulletins in print and 
electronic media including website of TEVTA on career counselling and 
placement services including information on new and emerging trades, 
market skills, trends and employment opportunities; and 
(c) publish an annual report on progress of apprenticeship programmes. 
9. Advice and guidance to employer .─‎ Subject to the provisions of this Act 
and the rules, the Competent Authority shall offer to the employer, technical advice 
and guidance in all matt ers relating to the apprenticeship programme run by the 
employer in his establishment in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the 
rules. 
10. Powers of entry and inspection .─‎ (1) The Competent Authority shall evolve 
and implement an effective monitoring and evaluation system and may: 
(a) enter, inspect and examine an establishment or part thereof 
during working hours; 
(b) examine any apprentice employed therein or require the 
production of any register, record or other documents 
maintained in pursuance o f this Act and take on the spot or 
otherwise statement of any person which it may consider 
necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act;  
(c) make such examination and inquiry as it may deem fit in order to 
ascertain whether the provisions of this Act a nd the rules are 
being observed in the establishment; and 
(d) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed. 
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub -section (1), no person shall 
be compelled under this section to answer any question or to make any statement, 
which may tend directly or indirectly to incriminate him. 
11. Delegation of powers .─‎ The Competent Authority may, by order in writing, 
direct that any power conferred upon it, by or under this Act, shall be exercisable 
also by such officer sub ordinate to it and subject to such conditions as may be 
specified in the order. 
12. Penalties and procedure.─‎ (1) If an employer: 
(a) fails to engage the required number of apprentices under this 
Act; or 
(b) fails to carry out the terms and conditions of an appr enticeship 
contract; or 
(c) fails to furnish an information or furnishes a false information 
required under the Act; or 
(d) fails to facilitate the Competent Authority or an officer authorized 
by it, any inspection, examination or inquiry authorized under 
this Act and the rules; or 
(e) engages an apprentice in contravention of any of the provisions 
of this Act and the rules; or 
 
 
(f) contravenes any provisions of this Act and the rules; 
the Competent Authority may, for the period of non -compliance, impose upon the 
employer a n administrative penalty which may extend to twice the amount of 
minimum stipend to be paid to the minimum number of apprentices by the employer 
under this Act, and the employer shall pay the administrative penalty within such 
period as may be specified by the Competent Authority. 
(2) In case of non -payment of the administrative penalty within the 
specified period under subsection (1), the employer shall be liable to a fine which 
may extend to twice the amount of the administrative penalty, and in case of d efault 
of payment of the fine, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months. 
(3) An offence punishable under this section shall be tried by a Magistrate 
of the first class upon a complaint in writing made by the Competent Authority 
regarding non-payment of the administrative penalty under subsection (2). 
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 
1898 (V of 1898) , an offence punishable under this section shall be tried summarily 
under Chapter XXII of the Code relating to the summary trials. 
13. Power to exempt .─‎ The Government may, on the advice of TEVTA, and by 
notification in the official Gazette, exempt any establishment or class of 
establishments from all or any of the provisions of this Act for not more than one year 
in case of a natural calamity. 
14. Overriding effect .─‎ The provisions of this Act shall have overriding effect 
notwithstanding anything to contrary contained in any other law for the time being in 
force. 
15. Power to make rules.─‎ (1) The Government may make rules for carrying out 
the purposes of this Act. 
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of foregoing 
powers, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely: 
(a) method and conditions of en gagement, selection and the period 
of probation of apprentice; 
(b) conditions and terms of a contract of apprenticeship; 
(c) method and procedure governing settlement of disputes 
between an apprentice and his employer; 
(d) working hours, leave and holidays for apprentices; 
(e) conditions of employment of apprentices after training; 
(f) procedure for registration or licensing apprentices and its 
renewal; 
(g) procedure of discipline, welfare, supervision and control of 
apprentices; 
(h) forms of records to be maintained by the employer p ertaining to 
the training of apprentice; 
 
 
(i) assessment procedure, periodical tests, final examination and 
grant of certificate on successful completion of training; 
(j) composition, constitution and functions of, and filling of 
vacancies in, the apprenticeship co mmittee and procedure to be 
followed by such committee in discharge of its functions; 
(k) training of female and disabled persons;  
(l) code of conduct and ethics; 
(m) environment, health and safety; and 
(n) welfare schemes for apprentices including but not limited to 
health insurance, group insurance etc. during the entire period 
of training. 
16. Repeal and savings.─‎ (1) The Apprenticeship Ordinance, 1962 (LVI of 1962) 
is hereby repealed. 
 (2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the Apprenticeship Ordinance, 1962 (LVI 
of 1962 ) any action taken or order or appointment made under the repealed 
Ordinance shall be deemed to have been taken or made under this Act.