Kathmandu, August 27: In a major bid towards improving the quality and global recognititon of Nepal's workforce, the Council for Technical Education and Voca\etional Training (CTEVT) has officially launched the accreditation process for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools in the country. The announcement was made during the National Seminar on "Quality TVET:The Need of Now" held in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
Addressing the launch of the accrediation process, Minister for Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) Raghuji Panta emphasized the urgency of this reform. "If we compare the last two decades, we can sense a paradigm shift in livelihood and work because of digital tools. Let us understand what our current technological needs are. Being aware of these allows us to work towards fulfilling them, leading to quality in education, including TVET," he said.
This milestone initiative introduces the nation's initiative for a quality TVET system to recognise schools and training programmes that meet defined quality standards- building trust, credibility, and global recognition for Nepal’s TVET institutions. "This Quality Assurance and Accreditation (QAA) is built on a strong monitoring system. Quality should be defined by outcomes, not merely by documents. The industry needs to be closely connected with TVET," said Er. Mahesh Bhattarai, Member Secretary of CTEVT, stressing the importance of outcome-based quality assurance.
In her keynote address that brought international perspective to Nepal's reform journey, Prof. Dr. Ursula Renold of ETH Zurich underscored the value of industry alignment, student-centered learning, and international benchmarks principles now embedded in Nepal’s accreditation model.
"In Switzerland, 70% of young people choose TVET, which has improved employability and GDP. Nepal can benefit from this approach by fostering its TVET sector, including implementing various measures for quality assurance," she said.
The seminar also featured sessions on TVET financing and shared findings from UNESCO's study on "Greening TVET." A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Usha Bhandari, Advisor, TVET/Skill Development, Swisscontact was also organized, which highlighted the need for strong leadership, industry linkages, investment and continuous improvement to ensure TVET schools deliver relevant, credible, and future ready training to make the youths employable. Meanwhile, representatives from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNESCO, and MoEST also pledged their support to the development of Nepal's TVET.
In his closing address, Swisscontact Country Director Sanjay Karki stressed on the need for Quality TVET for the current labour market. "I truly believe that through the collaboration of multiple actors and active private sector engagement, we can create opportunities for youth in Nepal," he said.
Accreditation is more than a stamp. It is the official recognition that a school or training programme meets quality standards. It helps build trust and gain recognition globally. In Nepal, many young people struggle to find jobs or the right skills for work. Accreditation helps improve training programmes so youth are better prepared for jobs and can contribute to the country’s economic growth.
The event, organized by CTEVT in collaboration with Swisscontact and supported by SDC and UNESCO, brought together more than 150 policymakers, educators, employers, and international experts.