Positioning Informal Skills Learners in TVET System of Nepal

Abstract

The informal sector occupies a significant portion of employment in Nepal. Morethan eighty per cent of all employees work in this sector. These workers generallylack formal skills training and acquire skills while performing the work under theguidance of skilled workers. However, the technical and vocational education andtraining (TVET) system rarely recognises such informally learned skills at work. Inthis context, this paper explores the position obtained by informal skills learners inthe existing TVET system of Nepal. I drew information from related literature,collected experiences of six informal skills learners as cases and incorporated viewsof eight experts through interviews. The study shows that informal skills learnersare getting very little attention in the Nepali TVET system. In fact, the system is notvaluing the contribution of local communities and institutions, industries, andenterprises in the development of skills. Furthermore, the study reveals that lackingawareness-raising and motivational programmes targeted to youth; and thegovernment’s unfavourable working approach to TVET. In this situation, I arguethat obtaining a dignified position by informal skills learners depends on the valuegiven to skills, work, and occupation. The paper concludes that Pervasive LoiteringSyndrome (PLS) prevails across different layers of society. The PLS creates thesituation of less valuing skills, work, and occupations, and ultimately the informalskills learners are devalued.

Madhyapurthimi Tourism: Reviews on Local Development

“…It must be preserved and self-sustainable for future generation. New generation wants to learn the artistic pottery but older generation does not want to teach them the pottery skills due to the limited scopes in market (Baral, 2020). It is a serious grievance to the Government that it is not looking after traditional occupations.…”

Addressing Informal Skill Learners' Challenges in Skill Test in Nepal

“…Most of the government organizations give value to the certification of the skill test. Similarly, studies conducted by few researchers expressed the value of the certificate provided by the NSTB to the informal skill learners are less valued in the informal market by the employers (Baral, 2020;Regmi, 2009).…”

“…Most of the traditional occupations fulfill the skill of human resource with the skills transfer system from senior craftsperson to beginner skills learner. This is the established practice of skills learning in Nepal (Baral, 2020). Their skills are, however, not always formalized and brought to the formal stream through the certification and recognition of the skill.…”

Researching Informal Skills Learners: Considering Work Interruption and Vulnerabilities

“…A researcher might face dilemmas caused by work interruption in informal skills learners during the interview and while observing the work setting. Informal skills learners are more vulnerable (Baral, 2020a;Bhorat et al, 2016), and their vulnerability can increase by the probable work interruption during the researcher's interaction with them. Concerning this research, the originally planned formal interview sessions did not work, so I had to rely on the informal conversation in the form of kurakani (Dhakal, 2021) during the observation of the work, not hindering their workflow.…”

“…In the countries where the informal economic sector is dominant, the prevalence of such workers is higher. These informal skills learners, particularly the novices, are vulnerable people (Baral, 2020a;Bhorat et al, 2016; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] & International Labour Organization [ILO], 2019; Sanders et al, 2014) due to different socio-cultural reasons. The probable work interruptions caused by the research activities can add to the vulnerability of informal skills learners, particularly the novice ones.…”