~ Infiniti Retail Limited (Croma), Metro Brands, Pepe Jeans India and Ferns & Petals on board TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship (TLDA) for training their workforce~ 

Mumbai, 15th November, 2022 (GPN): India’s fastest growing degree apprenticeship program, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship (formerly known as NETAP), from the house of TeamLease Services, today announced their partnership with Infiniti Retail Limited (Croma), Metro Brands, Ferns & Petals and Pepe Jeans India to up-skill their apprentice workforce through TLDA’s Degree Apprenticeship Program. Through these partnerships, TLDA will train 6,500 apprentices, with both domain competencies and behavioral skill sets, to prepare for them for future job roles.

Commenting on this initiative, Dhriti Prasanna Mahanta, Business Head, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, said, “Apprenticeships have become a lucrative solution to the skilling conundrum in India. As India becomes the fifth largest economy in the world, it is crucial to drive sustainable economic growth, of which job creation is an integral part. To drive this goal, creating a robust pipeline of skilled workers is the need of the hour, especially for the retail sector which contributes to about 10% of the GDP and is expected to reach $2 tn by 2032. Our partnership with prestigious organizations like Metro Brands, Ferns & Petals, Infiniti  Retail Limited and Pepe Jeans is a step forward in the direction of improving employability in the retail sector through degree apprenticeships”.

Under this program, TeamLease will offer degree-linked apprentice programs that will empower students to build new skills and receive additional credits whilst they earn a stipend. The Degree Apprenticeship program has been curated in accordance with the guidelines of the New Education Policy, and will provide candidates with a combination of academic and work-based learning. This program is a bedrock that will foster talent in retail industry.

Sharing his views, Mr. Joe Chacko, CHRO, Croma, Infiniti Retail Limited, said, “We are delighted to associate with Teamlease Degree Apprenticeship (TLDA) and their partnered Universities, to bring in the industry-academia partnership for degree-linked apprenticeship programs. We are certain that this partnership will play a vital role in fostering talent for the retail industry and, more specifically, in giving candidates the chance to enhance their skills.” 

Echoing similar views, Ms. Nandini Mehta, CHRO, Metro Brands Ltd, said, “There is a need for partnership between the employer, organization and TeamLease to introduce a three year degree apprenticeship.” 

The three year BBA Retail embedded apprenticeship is open to12^th graduates and Diploma pass out students. The objective behind the partnership is to create skilled entry level talent and address retention issues that organizations in the sector face.

Addressing the retention gap, Gautam Saraf, CHRO, Ferns & Petals, said, “10-20% of the new hire end up leaving because of further education. So if they get a model where they can get a degree while continuing their job is a winning situation.”

Dr.Sanjeev Kumar Chauhan, Director HR, Pepe Jeans India, added, “We are thrilled to partner with Teamlease Degree Apprenticeship (TLDA) and their partnered Universities, to deliver the industry-academia partnership for degree-connected apprenticeship programs. We are positive that this partnership will play an important function in fostering expertise for the retail industry and in giving applicants an opportunity to showcase their talent.”

TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship (formerly known as NETAP) has been instrumental in driving the up-skilling agenda in the country. With a pool of over 3.5 lacs apprentices and partnerships with 42 universities, the company caters to 750 clients, of which 1.2 lacs are in the retail industry.

About TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship: TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship is India’s first and largest Degree Apprenticeship Programme offered through a public private partnership with the TeamLease Skills University (TLSU), Ministry of HRD, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, CII and NSDC. The company has hired about 600,000 apprentices with more than 1000 employers. About 98% of these apprentices have transitioned into formal employment and almost 40% have been employed in the same organization. Through its Degree Apprenticeship Program, TeamLease focuses on enhancing the employability quotient of the youth of our country and bridge the skill deficit. TeamLease Skills University (TLSU) is India’s first vocational skills university as well as India’s first NAAC certified University that offers employment-oriented multi-level programs.

About TeamLease Services: About TeamLease Services Limited: TeamLease Services is one of India’s leading human resource companies offering a range of solutions to 3500+ employers for their hiring, productivity and scale challenges. A Fortune India 500 company listed on the NSE & BSE, TeamLease has hired 18 lakhs+ people over the last 20 years and has 2 lakhs+ open jobs every day. One of India’s fastest growing employers, TeamLease also operates India’s first Vocational University and India’s fastest growing PPP Degree Apprenticeship (DA) programme. The Company offers solutions to large, medium and small clients across the 3Es of employment (2 lakhs+ employees), employability (5 lakhs+ students) and E-workforce (1000+ employers).Ends