In support of Nepal's National Development Vision and its drive to become a middle-income country by 2030, the European Union introduced the Technical and Vocational Education and Training. 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 supported by the EU and the British council in Nepal is the main implementer which also works through Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training under our ministry. 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.

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 Hotel 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 occupation standard. 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 employers. 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.

Published on: 26 December 2022 | The Himalayan Times