As over three thousand youths are leaving the country every day in search of employment, the ROJGARI project has shown that there are spaces to generate employment opportunities for the nation's youths. Launched in June 2013 for a three-year period, Raising Opportunity for job in Gramin Areas for Rural Income (ROJGARI) has indicated that rural areas have the potential to generate jobs.

At a function organized by Practical Action, various speakers shared their views on skills and employment policies. With the funding of 533,046 Euro from European Union, Practical Action implemented the project in partnership with local NGO, SEBAC. On its completion, the project has successfully transformed the livelihood of youth in Doti, Accham and Kailali districts of far western region. One of the objectives of the project is to strengthen the capacity and network of private and public technical and vocational training institutes to provide demand based skills and training to 5000 rural youths from the project districts.

“A total of 5328 young people have benefited from the project intervention. A total of 2416 youths, including 1143 females, have initiated their own enterprises, which include poultry farming, goat farming, turmeric processing, pig farming, bamboo products, allo products, chiuri herbal soap and tailoring among others,” said Sujan Piya, head of agriculture,  food security and market programs at Practical Action.

Chaired by member of National Planning Commission Dr. Prem Dangal, ambassador of Delegation of European Union to Nepal Rensje Teerink expressed the hope that youth who got training from the project will encourage others to follow them.

The project worked in partnership with TVTCs (Technical Vocational and Training Center) to build their capacity to provide quality training to rural youths. The TVTCs have formed an umbrella organization called Development Entrepreneurship and Employment  Promotion (DEEP) Network which is an institution expected to promote and sustain the employment sector in Nepal. Apart from this,16 Local Entrepreneurs Network (LEN) has been formed. The project also achieved operational coordination and collaboration with line agencies and stakeholders at district, regional and national level.

“Practical Action has been doing a commendable job by joining hands with government to bring improvements in the employment sector. The government is always willing to work in collaboration with such organizations and I will further encourage continuing such endeavors and up-scaling the efforts to retain our youths by attracting them in local job market."

Dr. Rishi Raj Adhikari presented a policy gap study in the employment sector. “Nepal needs to develop programs to employ the youths.”

"If we provide certain level of technical training to youth, we can double the income of the youths going to work in gulf countries,” said Dr. Ram Hari Lamichhane, member secretary of CTEVT. “Our first priority should be to create jobs in the country.”

As over 3000 thousand Nepalese youths are leaving the country every day, it is creating a lot of problems in the country. “Our employment promotion program must focus on the need of the country,” said Rabindra Mohan Bhattarai, Director General of Department of Labor.

“As the project is in the process of closure, we organized  this seminar to share the employment policy gap study conducted by the ROJGARI project and to share major accomplishments of the project,” said Achyut Luitel, Regional Director, Practical Action, South Asian Regional Office.