IREL Apprentice Recruitment 2026 – Apply for 39 Graduate, Technician & Trade Apprentice Posts

IREL (India) Limited, Manavalakurichi, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, has released a notification for the engagement of Graduate Apprentices, Technician Apprentices and Trade Apprentices for the training year 2026-27. The recruitment is being conducted under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the rules made thereunder.

IREL Manavalakurichi invites applications from eligible Indian nationals for a total of 39 Apprentice seats, including 4 Graduate Apprentices, 4 Technician Apprentices and 31 Trade Apprentices. The apprenticeship training is offered in different engineering disciplines and ITI trades, with the training duration being one or two years depending on the trade.

The notification was issued on 03 August 2026, and the completed application along with the required documents must reach IREL on or before 31 August 2026. Candidates should carefully check the educational qualification, age limit, registration requirements, documents and selection procedure before applying.

IREL Apprentice Recruitment 2026 – Overview

The official notification contains the complete trade-wise seat details, eligibility conditions, selection methodology, application procedure and document requirements.

IREL Apprentice Vacancy 2026

IREL has announced 39 apprenticeship seats across Graduate, Technician and Trade Apprentice categories.

Post/Trade Wise Vacancy Details

The above vacancy distribution is taken from the trade-wise table provided on page 1 of the official IREL notification.

Category-wise Vacancy

Reservation for SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD candidates will be applicable according to the prescribed percentage and relevant Government guidelines.

IREL Apprentice Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates must satisfy the eligibility conditions prescribed by IREL before submitting the application.

Educational Qualification

The required qualification depends upon the apprenticeship category.

Graduate Apprentices

Candidates applying for Graduate Apprentice positions must possess the relevant Bachelor of Engineering (BE) qualification:

• Electrical & Electronics Engineering for Electrical discipline
• Civil Engineering for Civil discipline
• Mechanical Engineering for Mechanical discipline

Technician Apprentices

Candidates applying for Technician Apprentice positions must possess the relevant Diploma qualification:

• Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
• Diploma in Electrical Engineering
• Diploma in Civil Engineering

Trade Apprentices

Candidates applying for Trade Apprentice positions should have passed ITI in the relevant trade, such as Fitter, Electrician, Welder, Turner, Carpenter, COPA/PASAA, etc.

The exact qualification against each seat is given in the official vacancy table.

Important Educational Conditions

IREL has stated that candidates whose qualification was acquired through Distance Learning, Part-Time or Correspondence Mode will not be considered.

Candidates who have already undergone or are currently undergoing apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act in a Government, Public Sector or Private Industrial organization are also not eligible.

Candidates should also not apply for more than one trade at a time.

IREL Apprentice Age Limit 2026

As on 31 August 2026, the candidate should be:

• Minimum Age: 18 years
• Maximum Age: 25 years

Age relaxation is applicable to reserved categories as specified in the notification:

The age conditions are specifically prescribed in the notification with reference to the last date of application.

Important Eligibility Conditions

Candidates should pay particular attention to the following conditions:

1. Candidates must be eligible Indian nationals.
2. The prescribed educational qualification must have been completed in the relevant discipline/trade.
3. Distance/part-time/correspondence qualifications are not considered.
4. Candidates who have previously undergone apprenticeship training are not eligible.
5. Candidates should not apply for more than one trade at a time.
6. Candidates possessing higher/professional qualifications such as certain postgraduate/professional qualifications mentioned in the notification should not apply for the advertised seats.
7. Shortlisted candidates must undergo document verification.
8. Shortlisted candidates must be declared “Medically Fit” by the IREL Medical Officer.
9. Candidates must satisfy the document and verification requirements before joining.

IREL Apprentice Selection Process 2026

IREL has prescribed a merit-based selection methodology for the apprenticeship engagement.

There is no separate written examination mentioned in the notification. Candidates fulfilling the eligibility conditions will be considered on the basis of marks obtained in the specified educational qualification.

The selection process can be understood in the following stages:

Step 1 – Eligibility Screening

Applications will first be checked against the prescribed educational qualification, age, category and other eligibility requirements.

Step 2 – Merit List

Eligible candidates will be considered based on the marks obtained in the relevant qualifying examination.

Where higher educational qualifications are relevant, the qualification prescribed for the advertised seat will be considered according to the notification.

Step 3 – Priority Criteria

IREL has prescribed certain priority categories. Candidates belonging to the Land Affected Category receive priority, subject to documentary proof.

The notification also provides preference for certain categories, including wards of IREL employees, wards of deceased IREL employees while on service, and candidates belonging to specified nearby villages/areas.

Step 4 – Document Verification

Candidates will be called for document verification in order of merit. They must produce the original certificates along with self-attested photocopies.

Failure to produce the required original documents may result in rejection.

Step 5 – Medical Examination

Shortlisted candidates must undergo medical examination and be declared medically fit by the IREL Medical Officer.

Step 6 – Police Verification

As IREL is a highly protected area, selected candidates are required to submit a Police Verification Certificate issued by the concerned Police Authorities of the area where the candidate normally resides.

Step 7 – Final Selection and Joining

Candidates satisfying all requirements will be selected for apprenticeship training and required to execute an apprenticeship contract under the Apprentices Act.

IREL Apprentice Stipend

The notification states that the rate of stipend will be as prescribed under the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 and as notified by the Government from time to time.

Therefore, candidates should check the official notification and applicable apprenticeship rules for the stipend applicable to their category.

IREL has also stated that it will not provide any other benefit or financial assistance to apprentices during the training period.

IREL Apprentice Training Duration

The training period depends on the particular trade.

Most of the Graduate, Technician and Trade Apprentice positions have a one-year duration, while the Plumber/Fitter and Carpenter positions mentioned in the notification have a two-year duration.

Candidates should therefore check the duration against their selected trade before applying.

How to Apply for IREL Apprentice Recruitment 2026

The application procedure contains both online portal registration and submission of the prescribed application form to IREL.

Step 1 – Register on the Apprenticeship Portal

Eligible candidates must register themselves on the relevant apprenticeship portals.

For Trade Apprentices, candidates are required to register on the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Apprenticeship portal.

For Graduate/Technician Apprentices, candidates are required to register through the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) portal.

IREL has clearly stated that applications will not be accepted without registration on the relevant portal.

Step 2 – Apply Against IREL Establishment

For Trade Apprentices, candidates must apply through the IREL establishment registration number:

E05230310006

For Graduate/Technician Apprentices, candidates must apply through the establishment registration number:

STNKKCC000004

Step 3 – Download/Prepare the Application Form

Candidates should fill the application proforma given in the notification.

The application should preferably be typed on A4-size paper.

Step 4 – Attach Documents

Candidates should attach the required self-attested documents with the application.

Step 5 – Superscribe the Envelope

The outer cover should be superscribed with:

“APPLICATION FOR ENGAGEMENT OF APPRENTICE AGAINST NOTIFICATION NO. IREL (India) Limited/MK/Apprentices Engagement/2026/01”

Step 6 – Send the Application by Post

The completed application should be sent to:

The Chief Manager – HRM (Legal & ER),
IREL (India) Limited,
Manavalakurichi, Kanyakumari District,
Tamil Nadu – 629252.

Candidates are advised to preferably send the application through Speed Post.

Documents Required

Candidates should attach self-attested photocopies of the documents mentioned in the notification.

The important documents include:

1. 10th/Matriculation Certificate or Birth Certificate
2. 10th/HSC Mark Sheet
3. SC/ST/OBC(NCL)/EWS/PwD certificate, wherever applicable
4. Income and Assets Certificate for EWS candidates
5. Semester-wise/Year-wise marksheets
6. Pass Certificate in the respective discipline/trade
7. Land Affected Category/peripheral village documentary proof, wherever applicable
8. Nativity Certificate
9. Land Looser Certificate, if applicable
10. Aadhaar Card
11. Passport-size photographs
12. Police Verification Certificate

The notification specifically states that the Police Verification Certificate is to be duly issued by the concerned Police Authorities.

Important Dates

The completed application must reach IREL on or before 31 August 2026. Applications received after the last date will not be considered.

Important Links

Candidates should rely on the official IREL website for any corrigendum, addendum or future updates related to the recruitment. IREL has specifically advised candidates to periodically visit its website for updates.

IREL Apprentice Recruitment 2026 provides 39 apprenticeship opportunities for eligible Graduate, Diploma and ITI candidates at the Manavalakurichi unit in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. The vacancies cover Graduate Apprentice, Technician Apprentice and Trade Apprentice categories in disciplines such as Electrical, Civil and Mechanical, along with several ITI trades.

Eligible candidates should complete the mandatory apprenticeship portal registration and submit the prescribed IREL application form along with the required documents. Since the application must reach IREL by 31 August 2026, candidates should not wait until the final date to send their applications.

Applicants should carefully read the complete official notification before applying, particularly the eligibility conditions, priority criteria, document requirements and application procedure. The original certificates will be verified before joining, and selected candidates must satisfy the medical fitness and police verification requirements.

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