INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 24In support of Nepal's National Development Vision and its drive to become a middle-income
country by 2030, the European Union introduced the Technical Vocational and Training project.
Govt., private sector should
come together to resolve economic problems: FM Sharma
should be involved in productive activities'
The
project mainly has two key purposes - providing people with needed skills and knowledge for their livelihood, and to meet skilled human
resources need of the country.
As the extended time frame of the grant mission came to an end, Ujjwal Satyal of The
Himalayan Times talked with Hari Prasad Lamsal, joint-secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology which implemented the
project from government sector and John Mountford Team Leader of Dakchyata, which implemented the project through the non-government side,
about the effectiveness of project in Nepal
EXCERPTS:What is TVET and how has it helped with technical and vocational training in Nepal?TVET in a narrow sense can be related to skill
and occupation; but in a broader sense, TVET is an advanced curriculum that focuses on vocational training based education so that youths,
upon completing their education, can be easily employed or develop entrepreneurship.TVET in Nepal consists of four major components - skill
development which is a short term training for all, secondary level education in technical and vocational training, higher technical
education at the university level, and professional training skill for degree holders to add an academic component.TVET is an agreement
between Nepal Government and the EU
It has significantly contributed to changing the life of Nepali people.Firstly, it has helped formulae National skill Standard (NSS) that
comprise 30 kinds of vocational training
Based on the NSS, a curriculum has been devised that envisions trainers' education to be shared as theory in classrooms and practically in
real work fields operated by private businesses
TVET's close and cordial support of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training has also supported the country's need of
skilled workforce.What is the importance of involving private sector in TVET ?It has been tried and tested and proven as a method for
involving students of vocational education in the private sector in their education in European countries
The TVET devised by the European Union introduced this concept of allowing the private sector to let students enrol in private organisations
as a part the student's education.In this way, both the private sector and the students benefit
In Nepal, since there are not enough government organisations that can allow all kinds of students to practise the courses, the private
sector has become a beacon of hope
So, the students under TVET spend half of their education time in colleges Photos: THT or institutions and spend the other half of their
education time in real fields working among professionals
At least, this is the concept
And, it has proven an effective method in Nepal as well
Here, government labs and polytechnic institutions function under controlled setting, so students working here have less experience when it
comes to real world problems.What is TVET Sector Reform Plan ?We have formulated a strategic plan which works together with other
ministries, including Ministry of Forest and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ministry of Industries,
Commerce and Supplies, Ministry of Tourism and other government bodies.We need to create a bridge between these ministries and make a
collective effort to devise projects, plans, and policies
After realising there was a gap between these parties, we tried to find a common platform, which TVET supported in formulating.Are there any
difficulties in implementing the TVET due to existing laws ? Are we looking for priorities for future revisions or a new act?Currently we
are operating under the CTE- VT act
This act was devised before the country's transition to the federal structure when there was less need of vocational and technical education
The political, social and economic condition has greatly changed in this sector over the years
With federalism in practice, we are trying our best to bring a new act, but unfortunately we have not been able to do so.It has been
difficult to work under a 35-year-old law, especially since there are three levels of government in the country.Besides, the education
system has completely changed
The technology has changed, people's expectations have changed, and even learning and teaching methods have changed.
John Mountford
What was the main objective of Dakchyata and how has it helped Nepali youths
with technical and vocational training ?
The main objective of Dakchyata is to promote impactful Public-Private Partnerships in the TVET
sector to facilitate the relationship between government and the private sector in order to ensure that the context and mechanism of
training reflect what employees need
Thus, its ultimate aim is to promote inclusive economic growth by having a more matching supply and demand of labour
The TVET also works under the Sustainable Development Goal framework to meet Nepal's commitment to becoming a middle income nation, among
others.How has PPP model worked in Nepal in the TVET sector?
Through our grants, we first worked on Employer-led Labour Marker Secretariat
(ELMS), that worked through five national associations of private sectors: Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry,
Confederation of Nepalese Industries, Federation of Nepali Cottage and Small Industries, Federation of Contractor Association of Nepal, and
Management Association of Nepal
We worked with them to set up government structures, and mechanism to identify skill demands and to articulate the identified skills and
We thereby provided a platform for employers to contribute to labour market dialogues
Finally, we had a grant stream through three UN agencies IOM, ILO and UNDP supporting TVET activities around returnee migrant workers
So identifying skill needs, conducting trainings, promoting employment for returnee migrant workers as well as opportunities for
employers.Through these key grant activities, I think we have left a legacy for the delivery of TVET in Nepal
This provides the delivery of training so that the partner school will be more confident about how they engage with employers, they will be
more confident about how they can identify local skill needs and help deliver training that will reflect the industry.And also, what I
should add is that participating associations have agreed to continue to fund and sustain the model that they developed for the project
I feel this is a validation of our work as the partners feel confident about what they have learned.Also, our key legacy will be the fact
that we have a better understanding of returnee migrant workers, and our support for them is going to have real impact on their transition
to employment, which is so important.Do you consider this as a key achievement or is there more to it ?
We are a project focused on
establishing structures, behaviours and strategies
I think our key achievement is the work we have done with the Ministry of Science and Technology
One activity, which is particularly important in my opinion, is the development of the 10-year TVET Sector Reform Plan
It has helped to identify the key pillars that will underpin the delivery of TVET in Nepal
These are pillars such as access inclusion, quality, relevance, finance, governance across different areas, which has led to this project
I think this will be the long term and substantial contribution we have made.The project will end soon
What should be the main focus of future programming in TVET?
Well, I think the major focus should remain on how employers can be embedded
in training as core partners
That's the key ingredient of the strongest of TVET programmes
It's aligned to 'supply of training' with 'demand of training' and that alignment is best achieved through strong voice and roles for
This is something the government has identified and committed to promote as well
So, I think that in new programmes it would be a fundamental requirement to include employer and demand-driven approach.
A version of this
article appears in the print on December 25, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com