The Board of Practical Training (Eastern Region), Ministry of Education, recently celebrated 50 years of apprenticeship training at  Regional Apprenticeship Day (RAD) 2025 held  in Kolkata,an official statement said.

According to the statement, the ceremony, which featured  Baidyanath Yadav (retired IAS), adviser to Bihar’s education department, as chief guest, also included addresses by RN  Lahiri, director of Tata International, Batanagar, and Prof. Dilip Kumar Baidya, director of NIT Silchar, among other dignitaries.

Dr SM Ejaz Ahmad, director of BOPT (ER), outlined the board’s mission to make graduates and diploma holders industry-ready and highlighted new efforts to meet demands of emerging sectors. “For over five decades, BOPT (ER) has worked to empower graduates and diploma holders with industry-ready skills,” Dr Ahmad said. “The success of Regional Apprenticeship Day 2025 is a testament to the collective effort of our partner institutions, industries and apprentices. With initiatives like ‘NATS on Reels’ and our focus on sectors such as AI and healthcare, we are committed to making India a global hub of skilled talent.”

The event honoured outstanding contributors to the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS). Mr Siddharth Ray of Tata Steel was named Apprentice of the Year; Oil India Limited, Assam, was recognised as Establishment of the Year; and NSHM Knowledge Campus, Durgapur, was awarded Institution of the Year. Several training partners and establishments were also felicitated for their contribution to apprenticeship training.

The board used the platform to launch “NATS on Reels,” a competition inviting young people to produce short reels for Instagram and YouTube that highlight the importance of apprenticeships, promote employability and showcase skill development pathways.  According to the statement, BOPT (ER) said it will increase focus on emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and healthcare.