Nepal Vocational Qualifications System (NVQS)

Youths entering the labour market in Nepal are compelled to remain unemployed or underemployed and work in low-pay jobs due to a lack of skills, and lack of certification and recognition of the skills they have. To provide wider opportunities and to enable Nepali youth without formal vocational training and education, and those who have gained skills through work experience to enter the labour market with recognized certificates for better employability and career path, the Government of Nepal (GoN) has initiated a National Vocational Qualifications System (NVQS) with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to be implemented.
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kathmandu
27.7172453
85.3239605
Project duration
2020 - 2024
Financed by
  • Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC

The project

Nepal Vocational Qualifications System Project (NVQS-P) aims for systemic reform in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector of Nepal. The successful implementation of the National Vocational Qualifications System (NVQS) would transform Nepal’s TVET landscape making it sustainable through the availability of market-relevant competent people and increased productivity of businesses and industries. This would ultimately create better earning opportunities for Nepali youths and aid in poverty reduction. 

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) provides financial and technical assistance to develop NVQS in Nepal through the Nepal Vocational Qualifications System Project (NVQS-P). The Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT)/National Skill Testing Board (NSTB) implements NVQS-P on behalf of the Government of Nepal. Swisscontact provides Technical Assistance to the project on behalf of SDC.

Project partner

Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTVET), National Skills Testing Board (NSTB)

Results

Expected outcomes:

  • Through the National Vocational Qualifications System, certified Nepali youths gain employment in domestic and international markets.
  • CTEVT/NSTB on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology implement the National Vocational Qualifications System in partnership with the private sector.
  • Provincial governments implement the vocational qualification system.

Priorities for 2022-23:

  1. Endorsing NVQF detailing document by the relevant authority and using it as a common communication tool,
  2. Communication and outreach expansion about NVQS, NVQF, and RPL,
  3. Facilitating to approve the National Vocational Qualification Board (NVQB) rules that will allow implementing NVQF up to NVQ Level 5,
  4. Establishing additional three sector skills committees making a total of eight SSCs,
  5. Upscaling RPL in all provinces,
  6. Developing additional 30 National Competency Standards (NCS),
  7. Strengthening Accredited Skills Assessment Centres (ASCs),
  8. Expanding NVQS in two additional provinces,
  9. Facilitating collaboration among the federal, provincial, and local, governments in NVQS implementation, and
  10. Engaging employers in key processes.

News

Nepal
Sustainable agriculture, Entrepreneurial ecosystems, Labour market insertion, Initial vocational education and training
08.03.2023
Women’s Economic Empowerment Leads to Stability and Equity
Every year on March 8, we globally celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) to highlight women’s achievements and shed light on the importance of equity. This year, IWD’s slogan is #EmbraceEquity, aiming to question why and how equality is not enough and just.  
Nepal, Mozambique, El Salvador, Guatemala
Initial vocational education and training, Labour market insertion, Migration
21.09.2022
Accrediting vocational skills to facilitate labour market integration
Vocational training and continuing education have been among Swisscontact’s main areas of focus for a long time. For such projects, the standard is for acquired skills to be certified so that people have a better chance at finding their way in the job market. In developing countries and emerging economies, many people do have the requisite vocational skills, but they do not have a document attesting to this experience. Swisscontact is engaged in various projects and initiatives for the accreditation and certification of vocational skills.
Nepal
Initial vocational education and training
15.07.2022
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): an Initiative to Recognize the Skills of Young People
People can learn through different mediums and different activities of everyday life. From childhood to adulthood, learning is a lifelong process which does not always happen in a formal way as people mainly learn through experiences. Many young people in Nepal gain experience by working in different occupations, and many take on their family’s occupations. Despite working for many years and gaining skills, people end up with no certification or proof of what they have done. Because of this, they do not get paid up to par which then hinders their professional growth.