UP is India's leading hub. Samsung, Vivo, Foxconn, Oppo, Avaada operating at scale. Emerging roles in cleanroom operations, semiconductor design, and advanced manufacturing require skill sets not yet in ITI curriculam.
STEP's work: 20 major companies demand-mapped | 30 ITIs supply-assessed | Bridge courses at 20 top ITIs | CoEs with 5 industry partners | Monthly apprenticeship drives | SNU Noida as Central Hub in hub-and-spoke CoE network (Semiconductor Design, Manufacturing, AI & Advanced Tech, R&D & Startup, Sustainability CoEs)
Blue- and grey-collar roles at massive scale. MSMEs constitute the backbone of manufacturing employment but have the lowest apprenticeship uptake - only 0.2% of India's workforce is engaged as apprentices.
STEP's work: MSME apprenticeship strategy (Awareness, Technology, Incentives pillars) | Kudumbashree pilot in Kerala (3 districts, 3.3K SHG enterprises, 13K apprentices, 8+ sectors) | Dixon hiring playbook (55% conversion rate)
Transition to clean energy creates new job roles not yet covered in ITI curriculam.
STEP's work: Sustainability CoE in hub-and-spoke model | Planning underway