A two-day TVET Career Fair 2018 was organized by the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and its Research and Information Division with the support from the European Union, the Swiss Development Cooperation and the Pokhara Technical School on 29 and 30 June 2018 followed by a panel discussion on 01 July 2018. The fair is the first of its kind in the TVET sector organized in Pokhara.
The fair had a total of 22 stalls consisting of CTEVT affiliated private institutes in Pokhara, Dhaulagiri and Chitwan among others. Around 6500 people comprising of parents, relevant stakeholders and students mainly fresh SEE graduates visited the event.
The Career fair provided a unique opportunity and a common platform for students, parents, trainers and employers where they exchanged ideas and information about technical and vocational education and career opportunities. The career fair played a crucial role to highlight the importance of TVET among the general public. It helped them identify their career choices and to network with prospective employers.
A career path in the technical field is becoming increasingly attractive for many Nepalese students and has also drawn attention and support of the present Government, because it can offer promising professional opportunities and is crucial for the development of the country.
Nardevi Pun, Minister for Social Development, Province 4, who was the chief guest of the programme stated, “We have not been able to effectively utilise raw materials and resources in Nepal. We need to focus more on production and for that, we need skilled human resources. For Nepal to generate qualified human resources, the government needs to help. I assure to bring in efforts from my side as the Minister for Social Development, Province 4, for the development of skilled human resources.”
Pushpa Raman Wagle, Member Secretary, CTEVT emphasized that it is necessary to focus on developing skilled human resources according to the needs of the country and to increase the productivity by using the maximum amount of natural resources available. He highlighted: "Vocational training can be a very smart investment. A committed and qualified self-employed plumber or electrician, for instance, can earn a better livelihood than many university students would even dream of".
“The EU feels privileged to partner with CTEVT,” said Andreas Roettger, the Head of Cooperation at the European Union in Nepal. “This fair provided a wealth of inspiration to show how crucial vocational training is for Nepal.” he added further.
“I have been taking electrician training, and I am attending this fair today to learn more about the opportunities that lie in the electrician field,” shared Ajay Panta, a recent SEE graduate from Lekhnath, Kaski.