With Nepal poised to graduate from Least Developed Country in 2026, it is important to increase the impactful investment in the areas that will contribute to the socioeconomic growth of the country.

A skilled workforce, and economic opportunities for youth in Nepal are important paths towards enhanced resilience and stronger economy. But, how can we get Nepali citizens to believe the same when they feel they have little educational and work opportunities in their own country?

Since 2016, the European Union has joined hands with the government of Nepal to support the EU-Nepal Practical Partnership for Technical Vocational Education and Training Reform (TVET-PP) to increase the engagement and skill levels of Nepal’s technical vocational education system.

With two main projects, the TVET-PP program engages with all stakeholders in the vocational training sector to increase the quality of technical education and its pathways to employment. With Sakchyamta, the EU is supporting the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) to help reform the existing system through capacity and technical development. This includes improving the cooperation between CTEVT and job providers, establishing a policy working group with representatives from the private and public sectors, revising and building new curricula, such as e-learning courses, and overall quality assurance by supporting the vocational training schools..

Dakchayata, implemented by the British Council, aims to answer:  what skills are most valuable to employers and how can we effectively teach them to students? The project works in three industries: agriculture, tourism and hospitality, and construction. The project engages with local communities, especially parents, to inform them of the importance of TVET and to encourage them to see vocational training as an accessible and supported form of education. It also works with the private sector, raising awareness of its trainings and benefits, which ultimately helps in building career pathways between training schools and employers, such as traineeships. The trainees are also given career counselling and financial training so that they are equipped with the necessary skills for their fields.

Dakchayata coordinates with key local organizations and the private sector private companies to understand how to best adapt trainings so that they are accessible to all trainees and relevant to employers. This strategy aims to maximize the job readiness of trainees so that they can participate in the job market.

From shaping the design of the TVET model, relationship brokering, to ensuring the quality of apprenticeship schemes and bettering the working capabilities of the Council; Sakchyamta and Dakchyata encourage employers, industry experts and the government to be fully integrated in Nepal’s vocational training system.

With an effective TVET system in Nepal, the youth and underrepresented communities, in particular, will have better pathways to employment and livelihood opportunities, increasing their involvement in the economy and the economic development of Nepal.