ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026 - Apply Online for 1010 Vacancies

Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, has released Notification No. APP/01/2026-2027 for engagement of Act Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and RBE No. 120/2015 dated 06 October 2015.

A total of 1,010 Act Apprentice slots are available for Freshers and Ex-ITI candidates in Carpenter, Electrician, Fitter, Machinist, Painter, Welder, MLT-Radiology, MLT-Pathology and Programming and System Administration Assistant (PASAA) trades.

ICF will give preference to candidates from Tamil Nadu. Eligible candidates can submit their applications online through the ICF web portal from 08 August 2026 at 9:30 AM to 07 September 2026 up to 5:30 PM. Selection will be made through a merit list based on marks obtained in Standard 10. There is no written examination or interview mentioned in the notification.

Official Notification PDF: ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026

ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Overview

ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Important Dates

ICF Apprentice Vacancy 2026 Trade-Wise Details

ICF Apprentice Freshers Category-Wise Vacancy Details

ICF Apprentice Ex-ITI Category-Wise Vacancy Details

ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must satisfy the prescribed age, educational qualification, Tamil Nadu residence or Employment Exchange requirement, category conditions and medical fitness requirements.

The notification specifically states that candidates possessing higher qualifications such as a Degree, Diploma or Engineering Degree, and candidates who have already completed Act Apprenticeship, are not eligible to apply. The higher-qualification restriction does not apply to MLT posts, for which Class 12 is the prescribed qualification.

ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Educational Qualification

Ex-ITI – Fitter, Electrician and Machinist

• Passed Standard 10 with a minimum of 50% marks.
• Science and Mathematics must have been studied under the 10+2 system or equivalent.
• National Trade Certificate or State Trade Certificate in the relevant notified trade of one year or above.

Ex-ITI – Carpenter, Painter and Welder

• Passed Standard 10 with at least 50% marks.
• Possess a National Trade Certificate or State Trade Certificate in the relevant notified trade of one year or above.

Ex-ITI – Programming and System Administration Assistant

• Passed Standard 10 with a minimum of 50% marks.
• Possess a National or State Trade Certificate of one year or above in Information Technology, Computer Operator and Programming Assistant, Database System Assistant or Software Testing Assistant.

Freshers – Fitter, Electrician and Machinist

• Passed Standard 10 with minimum 50% aggregate marks.
• Science and Mathematics must have been studied under the 10+2 system or equivalent.

Freshers – Carpenter and Painter

Candidates must have passed Standard 10 under the 10+2 system or equivalent with at least 50% aggregate marks.

Freshers – Welder

Candidates must have passed Standard 10 under the 10+2 system or equivalent with at least 50% aggregate marks.

Freshers – MLT Radiology and MLT Pathology

Candidates must have passed Standard 12 under the 10+2 system with Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

ICF Apprentice Higher Qualification Restriction

The notification states that candidates possessing qualifications higher than the prescribed Standard 10 / Matric / SSLC qualification are not eligible for the regular Act Apprentice trades. This includes:

• Degree holders
• Diploma holders
• Engineering Degree holders
• Candidates who have already completed Act Apprenticeship

The above higher-qualification restriction does not apply to the MLT trades because the prescribed qualification for MLT is Standard 12 / HSC.

ICF Apprentice Tamil Nadu Eligibility Requirement

The notification gives preference to candidates from Tamil Nadu and prescribes a specific source-of-engagement condition.

• Applicants who are residents of Tamil Nadu and/or registered with a local Employment Exchange falling within the jurisdiction of Tamil Nadu are eligible to apply.
• The date of registration with the local Employment Exchange should not be later than the last date for receipt of applications.
• The Employment Exchange condition does not apply to wards of Railway employees.

Documents for Wards of Railway Employees

Wards of Railway employees claiming exemption from the Employment Exchange condition must produce supporting proof during document verification, such as:

• Railway employee Identity Card or Service Certificate attested by a Gazetted Officer of the concerned unit
• Father's UMID Card
• Candidate's UMID Card
• Mother's UMID Card
• PPO copy, where applicable

Sources of Engagement of ICF Act Apprentices

As stated in the notification, the sources for engagement of Act Apprentices include:

1. Nearest Employment Exchanges
2. SC/ST Organisations
3. Industrial Training Institutes, wherever existing
4. Wards of Railway employees

ICF Apprentice Age Limit 2026

Age will be calculated as on 07 September 2026.

ICF Apprentice Age Relaxation 2026

Candidates claiming SC/ST reservation must produce the prescribed caste certificate during document verification. OBC candidates must submit a valid OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate issued by the competent authority.

ICF Apprentice PwBD Eligibility 2026

Persons with Benchmark Disabilities can apply only for trades for which their disability category is permitted under the notification. Candidates must have at least 40% relevant disability to claim reservation.

PwBD Certificate

Candidates claiming PwBD reservation must submit a valid disability certificate issued by the Central or State Government.

ICF Apprentice Training Period 2026

ICF Apprentice Stipend 2026

During the second year of apprenticeship training, the prescribed minimum stipend will increase by 10%.

For NCVT or SCVT certificate holders, the training already undergone will be taken into account while determining the minimum payable stipend.

ICF Apprentice Application Fee 2026

• The processing fee must be paid online.
• The fee is non-refundable.
• After successful payment, a Transaction ID beginning with “DU” will be sent to the registered mobile number.
• Candidates should preserve the Transaction ID for future reference.

ICF Apprentice Selection Process 2026

The merit list will be prepared on the basis of marks obtained in Standard 10.

• Online Application Scrutiny
• Preparation of Merit List based on Standard 10 Marks
• Trade Allotment
• Document Verification
• Medical Fitness Verification
• Final Engagement and Apprenticeship Contract

No written examination or interview is prescribed in the notification.

ICF Apprentice Merit List 2026

Selection will be based on marks secured in Standard 10.

For candidates who were declared pass in Standard 10 under the COVID Pass system, proof of Standard 9 marksheet or Standard 10 half-yearly marksheet duly signed by the Principal of the institution will be considered for preparation of the merit list.

ICF Apprentice Tie-Breaking Rule

If two candidates obtain the same marks:

1. The candidate who is older in age will be given preference.
2. If their dates of birth are also the same, the candidate who passed Standard 10 earlier will be considered first.

ICF Apprentice Trade Allotment 2026

• Fresher candidates can exercise their preference for trades.
• Trade allotment will be based on merit and availability of vacancies.
• Once a trade is allotted, no request for change of trade will be entertained.
• PwBD candidates will be allotted only trades permissible for their disability category.
• Ex-ITI candidates will be trained in the trade for which they possess the ITI certificate.

ICF Apprentice Medical Fitness 2026

Candidates must be physically fit according to the provisions of the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the applicable Apprenticeship Rules.

Selected candidates must produce a Medical Certificate during document verification. The certificate must be signed by a Government-authorised Gazetted Doctor not below the rank of Assistant Surgeon of a Central or State Hospital.

ICF Apprentice Contract of Apprenticeship

Selected Ex-ITI and Fresher candidates must execute a Contract of Apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act, 1961.

If the selected candidate is a minor, his or her guardian may execute the prescribed apprenticeship contract according to the guidelines of the Regional Director of Apprenticeship Training, Guindy, Chennai.

How to Apply for ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026

1. Visit the official ICF recruitment portal at pb.icf.gov.in.
2. Open the Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026-27 section.
3. Read Notification No. APP/01/2026-2027 carefully.
4. Click on the online application link.
5. Enter personal, educational, category and trade-related information.
6. Upload a recent passport-size photograph in JPG/JPEG format.
7. Verify all entered details carefully before final submission.
8. Pay the processing fee online, if applicable.
9. Submit the application before 07 September 2026 at 5:30 PM.
10. Generate the acknowledgement form after final submission.
11. Take a printout of the acknowledgement for Document Verification.

ICF Apprentice Online Application Requirements

• The recent passport-size photograph should be in JPG/JPEG format.
• The photograph file size should not exceed 200 KB.
• Candidates should keep all relevant documents and certificates ready before filling the application.
• A system-generated registration number will be issued after registration.
• The registration number will serve as the candidate's Registration ID.
• The date of birth in DDMMYYYY format will be used as the password for login and acknowledgement generation.

ICF Apprentice Documents Required

Candidates should keep the following documents ready for the recruitment process:

• Online application acknowledgement
• Standard 10 marksheet and certificate
• Standard 12 marksheet and certificate for MLT applicants
• ITI / NCVT / SCVT certificate for Ex-ITI candidates
• Employment Exchange registration details, where applicable
• SC / ST certificate, where applicable
• OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate, where applicable
• PwBD certificate, where applicable
• Railway employee Service Certificate / Identity Card for eligible wards of Railway employees
• UMID Card or PPO documents, where applicable
• Medical Fitness Certificate
• Original Transfer Certificate for completion of Standard 10, Standard 12 or ITI qualification

ICF Apprentice Transfer Certificate Requirement

The original Transfer Certificate relating to completion of the qualifying Standard 10, Standard 12 or ITI course must be produced during certificate verification.

ICF Apprentice Document Submission

Candidates are not required to send any documents or the system-generated application form to ICF through post, email, fax or by hand.

The acknowledgement generated after final submission should be printed and produced only when called for Document Verification.

ICF Apprentice Mode of Communication

• All communication from ICF will be made through SMS or email.
• The selection or eligibility list will be uploaded on the ICF web portal.
• Official SMS communication from ICF Administration will be sent under the sender name “PBICF”.
• Candidates should keep the registered mobile number and email address active until completion of the selection process.
• Candidates should regularly visit the ICF recruitment portal for updates.

ICF Apprentice Training Withdrawal Conditions

• Selected candidates will generally not be permitted to withdraw from apprenticeship training except for reasons beyond their control.
• Candidates must execute a Contract of Apprenticeship before commencement of training.
• Candidates who wilfully remain absent may be liable to refund the entire training cost as well as the stipend paid, as determined by the Central Apprenticeship Adviser.

ICF Apprentice Accommodation

ICF will not provide food or accommodation to selected apprentices. Candidates must arrange accommodation and food at their own cost during the training period.

ICF Apprentice Employment After Training

The notification is issued purely for apprenticeship training and not for permanent employment.

• Successful completion of apprenticeship does not guarantee employment in Integral Coach Factory or Indian Railways.
• Training under the Apprentices Act does not confer any right to absorption in Railways.
• The employer is not obligated to offer employment after completion of apprenticeship training.
• Candidates must submit a declaration acknowledging that they have no right to future employment in ICF or Railways.

ICF Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Important Instructions

• Applications will be accepted only through online mode.
• Candidates should read the complete notification before applying.
• Preference will be given to candidates from Tamil Nadu.
• Candidates must satisfy the Tamil Nadu residence or Employment Exchange conditions prescribed in the notification, except eligible wards of Railway employees.
• Degree, Diploma and Engineering Degree holders are not eligible for regular Act Apprentice trades.
• Candidates who have already completed Act Apprenticeship are not eligible.
• The higher-qualification restriction does not apply to MLT candidates, for whom Standard 12 is the prescribed qualification.
• SC/ST/OBC candidates must submit valid category certificates to claim reservation.
• Otherwise, such candidates will be treated as Unreserved and the UR age limit will apply.
• PwBD candidates must submit the prescribed disability certificate.
• The online processing fee, once paid, will not be refunded.
• No application or documents should be sent to ICF through post, email, fax or by hand.
• Once a trade is allotted, no request for change of trade will be entertained.
• Candidates must be medically fit according to Apprenticeship Rules.
• Original certificates must be produced during Document Verification.
• False declarations or incorrect information may result in disqualification or termination during training.
• Canvassing in any form will result in disqualification.
• The decision of ICF Administration regarding eligibility, acceptance or rejection of applications will be final.