The Department of Higher Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Board of Apprenticeship Training (Northern Region), Kanpur (BOAT-NR) to roll out Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDPs) across 16 government degree colleges from the 2026–27 academic session. The MoU was executed in the presence of Education Minister Rohit Thakur by BOAT-NR North Zone Director Vivek Kumar and principals from the participating colleges.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rohit Thakur highlighted that the initiative connects academic learning with practical workplace experience, giving students industry-relevant skills alongside a recognized undergraduate degree. In the initial phase, 685 students have enrolled across three B.Com. specialization streams: Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Retail Operations Management, and Logistics. These industry-aligned courses incorporate a mandatory six-month apprenticeship offering a guaranteed minimum monthly stipend of ₹10,900.
Himachal Pradesh is the third state in India, after Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, to adopt these specialized degree programs. Given the encouraging response and successful placement records of existing vocational courses like B.Voc., the state plans to explore expanding AEDPs to B.A. and B.Sc. streams in the future to further enhance employment prospects for youth from all backgrounds.
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