Regional Apprenticeship Day (RAD) 2026 will be held on September 5, 2026, according to the Board of Practical Training (Eastern Region) (BOPT-ER), an independent organization under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The main theme of this year’s edition is Empowering MSMEs through NATS: Catalyzing Regional Growth via Structured Apprenticeships.

Dr. S.M. Ejaz Ahmad, Director of BOPT(ER), and Shri Kailash Nath Mishra, Administrative-cum-Accounts Officer, made the announcement. Before the event, BOPT(ER) emphasized how RAD 2026 is a potent catalyst to increase youth employability throughout Eastern India, close the gap between industry and academia, and expand the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS).

BOPT(ER) is putting Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) at the center of its regional growth strategy because it recognizes that MSMEs face operational challenges like capacity constraints, limited awareness, and compliance complexities.

The September 5, 2026 event will act as a focal point for regional leaders from various sectors:

• Industry Leaders: To promote business alliances, premium corporate networks such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), ASSOCHAM, and the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) will be engaged.

• Academic & Governance Heads: State Education Department representatives, prominent members of the Board of Governors (BOG), vice chancellors of Central Universities, and institutional heads to guarantee policy alignment.

• Ecosystem Recognition: The event will recognize outstanding apprentices, educational institutions, corporate establishments, and MSMEs for their excellence in skill development.

To reach a larger audience, the event will be live-streamed to over 60,000 stakeholders. This digital-first approach links tier 2 and tier 3 industrial clusters, remote engineering colleges, polytechnics, and final-year students.

BOPT(ER) has successfully trained over 1.45 lakh apprentices in FY 2025-26 and is on track to train over 15 lakh students.

Priyanka Dutta