Upskilling in Nepal

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology coordinates parts of Nepal’s continuing education policy, while the Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD), the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT), the National Skill Testing Board (NSTB), the Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC), provinces and local levels each handle different pathways. CTEVT short-term training develops job-related skills through competency-based curricula and may last from 40 to 1,696 hours; many examples last 280 to 550 hours. Course access can depend on the target group, place, quota, application deadline and provider, and Nepal has no single nationwide fee for these programmes. NSTB can assess skilled workers and craftspeople against occupational skill standards. Applicants generally need a Nepalese Citizenship Card and must be at least 16 years old. The applicable level depends on prior training and experience: examples include 140 hours of relevant training for Elementary level, one month or 160 hours of training or one year of experience for Level 1, and longer experience or combined theory and practical training for higher levels. A national skill certificate follows a passed performance test, but work experience alone does not automatically produce formal recognition. CEHRD’s Sikai Chautari provides free self-paced materials without requiring an account. Its courses may cover non-formal education, lifelong learning, teacher training and other self-directed subjects, but the reach and certificate value differ by course. Community Learning Centres and local livelihood or life-skills programmes provide further non-formal options. Policy planning under the School Education Sector Plan 2022–2032 includes coordination among federal, provincial and local levels, targeted learning materials and a planned network of 2,150 Community Learning Centres. Teacher development usually follows CEHRD, Education Training Centre and local-level arrangements. One example consists of 15 days, with 10 days centre-based and 5 days devoted to a school-based project; separate one-month certification courses also exist. NASC mainly serves public employees and state-owned enterprises through programmes such as BAT, PCMD, ACMD and SEDP. Their durations range from 30 working days to six months, and participation is usually based on organisational nomination. Course certificates, attendance duties, examinations and possible lunch or travel support follow the relevant programme or service rules; there is no general training allowance. Informal learning includes work experience, workplace learning, peer learning and self-study. These activities can improve skills without automatically creating a recognised qualification. A formal skills test through NSTB or a provider-specific examination may offer a way to document recognition. Public, donor-funded, local-level and NGO programmes may be subsidised, while private or specialised courses may charge fees. CTEVT diploma and pre-diploma programmes primarily belong to initial vocational education, university programmes primarily belong to tertiary study, and language courses belong to language learning rather than this broader upskilling scope.