An apprenticeship is a specific thing — and most applicants misunderstand what they are signing up for. STPL (Steel Tubes of India / Sievert Storey or the specific STPL entity operating this notification) has opened 32 apprentice slots across Graduate, Diploma, and ITI Trade categories. One year, merit-based selection, stipend ranging from Rs.7,700 to Rs.10,000 per month, and the last date is 27 April 2026. Before you apply, it helps to be clear about what an apprenticeship actually gives you — and what it does not.
What an Apprenticeship Actually Is — And What It Is Not
An apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act 1961 (and the amendments thereafter) is a structured training contract between you and the organisation. You are not an employee. You are a trainee. The organisation is legally obligated to provide you on-the-job training in your trade or discipline, pay you the prescribed stipend, and issue you a National Apprenticeship Certificate upon successful completion. You are obligated to attend, learn, and complete the training period.
What it is not: it is not a probationary period that leads to permanent employment. STPL has no obligation to absorb you after the year. You will not receive employee benefits — no PF, no ESI, no gratuity, no medical coverage beyond basic statutory requirements. You are not part of the permanent workforce, and your stipend is not a salary in the traditional sense. Understanding this upfront prevents disappointment at the end of twelve months.
What you genuinely gain: hands-on training in an industrial environment that is substantially more serious than any college lab or workshop, a National Apprenticeship Certificate that is recognised by employers and PSUs across India, and one year of practical experience that directly answers the "fresher with no experience" problem that every engineering and ITI graduate faces when job-hunting.
Stipend, Duration, and the Certificate You Get
Graduate Apprentices receive Rs.9,000 to Rs.10,000 per month (the exact figure depends on the specific Graduate Apprenticeship category under NATS). Diploma Apprentices receive Rs.8,000 per month. Trade Apprentices from ITI receive Rs.7,700 per month. These are monthly stipend payments — there is no performance bonus, no DA, no HRA as a component. The year runs for twelve months from the date of joining.
At the end of the twelve months, you receive the National Apprenticeship Certificate from the relevant board — for NATS (Graduate/Diploma), it is the Regional Board of Apprenticeship Training. For ITI trade apprenticeships through Apprenticeship India, it is the National Council for Vocational Education and Training. This certificate is nationally recognised. It is listed in your resume as "Apprenticeship Training — [Organization] — [Trade/Discipline] — [Year]." When you apply for PSU junior engineer posts or government technical positions, this certificate counts as verified industrial experience, which is more valuable than a project report or an internship letter from a college placement.
Making the Most of Your Apprenticeship Year
The difference between two people who do an apprenticeship at the same organisation and come out with completely different outcomes is almost entirely what they chose to do with the exposure. The certificate is the same. The stipend is the same. The outcomes are not.
Observe actively. When the engineers on site make decisions — material selection, equipment troubleshooting, process adjustments — ask why. You may not always get an answer, but asking signals that you are paying attention, and supervisors who notice engaged trainees sometimes give them better work assignments. Build the habit of keeping a technical diary — not for any assessment, but because writing down what you observed and understood from each shift builds a level of technical recall that passive observation does not.
If STPL has any ongoing testing, calibration, or quality certification activities, try to be involved in those processes. They give you exposure to documented procedures, measurement systems, and quality standards that are directly useful if you ever work in a regulated industrial environment later. Similarly, if there are any health, safety, and environment (HSE) drills or audits during your tenure, participate fully — HSE credentials matter increasingly in industrial hiring.
How to Apply and What the Selection Process Looks Like
Graduate and Diploma candidates apply through the NATS portal at nats.education.gov.in. ITI Trade candidates apply through the Apprenticeship India portal at apprenticeshipindia.gov.in. There is no application fee. Selection is purely merit-based on marks scored in your qualifying examination — your B.E./B.Tech degree percentage, your Diploma final year percentage, or your ITI final marks. There is no written test and no interview. STPL will shortlist candidates based on merit and the available slots per discipline.
To apply: register on the relevant portal, complete your profile with accurate educational details, upload your marksheets and photograph as per portal specifications, and submit the application before 27 April 2026. Before submitting, verify that your portal profile is complete — including your educational qualification, trade, and personal details. Incomplete profiles are typically rejected in the shortlisting stage without notice. After shortlisting, STPL will contact selected candidates with joining instructions. There is no formal offer letter process typical of permanent employment — a joining call or intimation through the portal is standard.