Development of Vocational Skills Training Implementation Guideline
Under Rural Enterprise and Remittance Project ‘SAMRIDDHI’, Helvetas Nepal, as the Technical Assistance (TA) provider to its sub-component 1.3 Decent, is assisting 12 local governments in development and finalization of ‘Vocational Skills Training Implementation Guideline’. Final endorsement is under process after incorporation of received feedback and suggestions at a workshop at Myanglung Municipality, Terhathum. Similar workshops have been conducted at Karjahna and Kolhabi Municipality of Madhesh and Belaka, Phedap, Bhojpur and Barhachhetra Municipality of Koshi Province where the incorporation of feedback is undergoing for finalization. The participants of the workshop were Mayor, Deputy-Mayor, Ward presidents, chief administrative officer, different section chiefs and stakeholders and TA team as facilitator. Draft has been shared to rest of six municipalities also and continuous technical assistance is being provided.
Unemployed local youths of the municipality were trained with short term (390 hour) vocational skills based on local demand in VST 2023 under cost-sharing partnership (up to 10 percent) with these local governments. The partnership created a base and turned out to be effective in institutionalizing result-based financing system at the local level. Throughout the partnership, the focal person assigned for the training were actively engaged in the pre, during and post training monitoring process along with the use of digital means developed by the project. The mayor, deputy-mayor and ward chairpersons were also involved throughout the monitoring process.
Formulation of TVET Sector Strategic Plan/Policy
Notably, contract has been signed with Barhathawa and Harion Municipality from Sarlahi, Madhesh Province for formulating Technical and Vocational Education and Training Sector policy on October. It is supposed to fulfill the observed strategic gap in the TVET sector at local level. Preliminarily a baseline survey will be conducted for for accessing the VST status of the municipalities. An expert team committee will be formed which will lead consultation meetings and workshops with relevant stakeholders drafting the draft strategy with technical assistance by Helvetas Nepal and move toward endorsement after feedback collections. Similarly, positive responses have been received from Itahari and Duhabi Municipalities after consultation meetings regarding formulation of TVET strategic plan.
Formulation of Provincial VST Strategy
Most importantly, with the TA support of Helvetas Nepal, SAMRIDDHI has conducted a meeting and presented the draft of guideline on provincial VST strategy in presence of Minister Mr. Chandan Kumar Singh and Secretary Mr. Ranjit Kumar Yadav from Ministry of Labor and Transport, Madhesh Province. The meeting appreciated the draft developed in technical assistance of Helvetas Nepal and provided feedback for amendment of few points. A MoU had been signed previously with the ministry for institutionalization of VST programs through formulation of strategy at the provincial level under Employment Promotion Program which would pave the way for system building. Continuous discussion and planning sessions were held to outline training implementation procedures, including provisions for women-targeted programs, skills-based employment, and additional employment initiatives aimed at skill-based entrepreneurship.
