Kathmandu: President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, Rajesh Kumar Agrawal, emphasized that active participation and coordination from both the private and government sectors are crucial to making ‘Technical and Vocational Education and Training’ (TVET) effective.
Speaking at a program organized in Lalitpur, President Agrawal called on the private sector to cooperate in ensuring the success of TVET. He stated that by making TVET successful, Nepal can generate skilled manpower aligned with market demand, ultimately making the country’s labor market more competitive.
He expressed his belief that successful implementation of TVET and skill development programs, tailored to the needs of the industry, would create employment opportunities and contribute to overall economic growth.
President Agrawal also announced the formation of an employer-led Labour Market Secretariat by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries. He highlighted that the Confederation has signed agreements with several colleges to bridge the gap between education and employment, which is expected to support the mutual development of Nepal’s educational and industrial sectors.
At the same event, Chairman of the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee, Ammar Bahadur Thapa, stated that efforts are underway to make school education more professional and technology-friendly through the School Education Bill. He noted that students at the school level should be prepared to enter the industrial sector.
Chairman Thapa also pointed out that vocational education has not been effective due to the presence of various types of teachers. He proposed that there should be only three categories of teachers: permanent, temporary, and skilled. He stressed that teachers with professional skills, not just academic degrees, should be appointed and called on the government to provide the necessary certifications for them.
Private sector entrepreneurs have called for vocational and technical education and training to be conducted under the leadership of the private sector in collaboration with the government, with clearly defined functions, duties, and powers in accordance with an Act passed by Parliament.