Introduction Part

a. Background

TCN has been established with the aim of contributing on poverty alleviation through imparting of market based short term skills to the unemployed youths and linking them to the employment opportunities.  It also aims to fulfill the striving need of skilled human resources in the country and abroad and also hope to gradually reduce the dependence of the our country on foreign skilled labors.

Established in the year 2000,   Training Center Nepal is a pool of professional experts having experience in skill training and employment generation. Professor Khem Nath Dallakoti, Er. Arna Raj Silwal and Mr. Ranjit Barakoti are the key promoters who have long history of contributing on professional and skill training area. The company, having head office at Sitapaila, Kathmandu, has worked in 45 districts around the country and gained credibility of providing quality even in the very adverse situation. It has successfully completed more than 3000 training events and imparted employable skills to almost 65000 people. A list of innovative works including designing and developing of new training, producing of trainee friendly study materials, developing of trainers, coordinators, managers and skill assessors, enhancing the access and equity of skill training go into the credit of Training Center Nepal.

Wide range of geographical coverage is the unique character of the TCN. It might be hard to believe that team TCN exists in 40 districts ranging from Himali districts to Tarai. Dedicated team members having long visionary commitment is the another key asset of TCN.  

Starting with three staffs and small premises, TCN has now become a strong organization having 200 staffs (including part time trainers), 6 regional centers, 12 number of vehicles, state of the art physical setup and permanent infrastructure to accommodate 1000 trainee at a time. TCN accomplished the training works of amount NRs. 15,97,90,806.14 in the year 2072/73 only and has got average turnover of NRs. 80,68,0502.00 for the last 5 years. In addition to this, TCN also conducts plenty of activities from its own resources.

At this stage, TCN has got the capacity of executing big projects of international standards in the TVET sector and can impart skill training to 10,000 people a year from its own resources. In addition to the core training area, TCN has extended its expertise and net works to support pre training and post training activities too.

b. Mission, Vision and Objectives of TCN

Vision of TCN

Vocational skill to youths does directly contribute on sustainable national development through reduction of unemployment, increased economic activities, improved educational and social order. Hence imparting of appropriate vocational skills to youths is very important for Nepal’s total development.

Mission Statement

TCN has set mission of establishing this organization as one of most reliable organization in the arena of developing skilled workers demanded by Nepalese construction industry and providing vocation skills and employment support to the unemployed youths around the country. Now we have proved it through 15 years of rigorous work and we do commit to maintain its image in the days to come. 

Objectives

The overall objective of the TCN is to strengthen the capacity of youths for sustainable employment. Similarly, the specific objectives are as follows:

• To manage demand based TEVT programs for unemployed youths
• To conduct vocational skills training program with complete training cycle approach
• To enhance employability of the vocational training graduates
• To conduct TNA, RMA, tracer study and other labor market related studies
• To prepare committed and dedicated subject experts as prime asset of organization and hence of the country as well.
• To adopt comprehensive approach to ensure the access of targeted groups in the TCN’s activities.
• To ensure participation of all types of deprived groups in its activities.
• To become milestone of society in terms of contributing on socio economic development through means of vocational training.
• To develop TCN’s institutional capacity to meet its set objectives

Major Strategies/Working Modalities

• Ensure purpose of training since pre-training stage

(Conduct TNA/RMA, design training curricula and modality, selection of trainees at grassroots level through partner NGOs, CBOs, Cooperatives and associations, conduct aptitude test during selection, and counseling prior to recruitment).

• Delivery of quality training

(Provide sufficient space for classrooms/workshops/Labs, adequate tools and equipment, qualified and trained instructors, standard training curricula and manual, weekly/monthly evaluation, 80% practical classes, industrial/enterprise based exposure: field visit, OJT, real practice at enterprise, use expert from enterprises as a resource person, adequate teaching and learning materials, and link with skill testing)

• Continuous post training support

c. Core Area of Working: Carrying out study and research work in TVET sectors, identifying market gaps conducting of skill training and ensuring the post training support to its graduates are the core area of working of the Training Center Nepal.

 Detail of TCN’s expertise in the area of skill training

1. Management Competency and Human Resources

TCN management team is fully responsible for successful execution of its projects. On behalf of the management team, MD is focal person and is head of management. All directors and seniors managers take part in policy formation and day to day management of activities.

Board of Director/Management Committee

Training Center Nepal has below mentioned management committee (board) of three members and one advisor. Board meeting is held regularly in first Friday of each month and above this special meeting as on when required. Managing director calls the special meeting if any issues to be discussed have been raised.

General topics discussed on regular meeting are following. Regularly board meeting also accommodates chief of each department.

• Follow up of business plan
• Review of monthly progress report.
• Discussion on complaints received and corrective measures to be taken
• Report of Quality assurance team
• Upgrading and improvement of physical and human resources.
• New programs.

• Er. Arna Silwal - Managing Director/Chairperson

 An Engineer with M. Sc in Structural Engineering, Mr. Silwal has field experience of over 9 years in different Non Government and Private Organization in the capacity of training manager, trainer and consultant in India and Nepal. Being involved in Short term training  projects, he possess good experience of managing and conducting short term technical training. Identifying many new need based training areas and making it practically successful is in his credit. He has also worked as consultant in development sectors with many government organizations.

• Mr. Ranjit Barakoti – Director

Mr. Barakoti is Masters Degree holder in education with specialization in teaching Methodologies. He possesses wide experience of working in community level and dealing with highly marginalized groups and conducting training for the economic upliftment of the group. He has visited many interior villages of tarai districts.

• Prof. Khem Dallakoti – Senior Management Advisor/Board Member

A Professor and civil engineer actively involved in construction industry as a consultant and Senior Trainer/Training Facilitator since last 23 years. To mention his excellent academic background Mr. Dallakoti has honors in Master degree in Engineering. He has also been awarded with Mahendra Bidhya Vushan for his academic excellence. He has also completed his MSc in Engineering Project Management from University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) UK. His M. Sc. thesis was titled 'Quality management in construction in developing countries'.

Physical Resources Competency  

TCN has been equipped with infrastructure and facilities adequate to provide skill training to at least 3000 trainees at a time around the Nepal.  

a. Work Place:  Training Center Nepal has established its own training venues at Kathmandu that can accommodate 300 trainees at a time and at prime locations of all development regions each of them can accommodate 100 trainees at a time. Permanent training venues of Training Center Nepal at different locations around Nepal have been mentioned in the table below. 

Permanent workplaces of Training Center Nepal

Workshops and classroom in all above mentioned locations are fully equipped.

Description of space and facilities (for office and for service delivery) available at all of the above mentioned centers are listed in the below table.

Temporary Training Venues: In addition to the above mentioned permanent training places, TCN has temporarily set up training venues at different locations around the Nepal. At present TCN have temporary training venues at 45 different locations around Nepal. Location and capacity of project based training venue are shown in the project Implementation approach.  

b. Tools, Equipments and Teaching Learning Materials for Vocational Skills Training

All of the TCN’s training venues are fully equipped with necessary tools, equipments and teaching learning materials in place.  

c. Provision for Mobile Concept Training: TCN has prepared mobile set of tools and equipments. TCN has mobile training set to conduct training  on Mobile Repairer, Electrician, Tailor, Plumber, Mason, Carpenter Construction Worker,  Off Season Vegetables Producer, Community Livestock Assistant etc.

Note: Four Sets of tools and equipments in each trades is ready at regional center and can be carried to any training locations. 

1. List of Key Clients

In the past one decade, TCN has got privileged to do partnership with many renowned agencies and projects.  It has rendered its services for more than 50 different agencies including government, non government, donor and private sector agencies. Few of the prestigious organization for which TCN has worked/is working has been listed below.

• JICA Safer Housing Training (TPIS-ERP)
• Skills Development Project  
• Decentralized  Rural Infrastructure and Livelihood Project-Additional Financing (DRILP-AF)
• Enhanced Vocational Education and Training (EVENT)
• Emergency Peace Support Project/MoPR
• SIPSWAN/UNWOMEN
• United Nations Interagency Rehabilitation Program (UNIRP)
• Skills for Employment Project (SEP)
• Rural Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Sector Development Program (RRRSDP)/GON
• Support to the Peace Process(STPP)/GIZ
• Department o Cottage and Small Industries/GON,
• Cottage and Small Industries Development Board/GON
• Vocational and Skills Development Training Directorate/GON
• Lutheran World Federation
• Practical Action Nepal
• CIWIN Nepal
• CARE Nepal
• Micro Enterprise Development Program (MEDEP)

Brief on Some Major Clients:

Skills Development Project: TCN has been implementing this project in central development region. We have been awarded to impart training and employment support service  in 29 different subjects to 3240 youths in the region. The contract is going to be completed within September of 2016.

Decentralized  Rural Infrastructure and Livelihood Project-Additional Financing (DRILP-AF): TCN accomplished training to 1500 trainees on masonry, earthquake resilience building construction technology, carpentry and other trades to participants from earthquake affected districts including Gorkha. 

SIWPSAN/UNWOMEN: This project is funded by Finnish Government and targeted to conflict affected women, women victims of sexual and gender based violence and former women combatants in three districts of far western region namely Kailali, Doti and Bajhang. The project aimed to produce 270 micro entrepreneurs in different occupations after imparting 390 hours skill training and necessary additional skills to operate a business. TCN has completed training to all 270 beneficiaries and almost 80 percentage of the graduates have set up micro enterprises in the related occupations they have received skill.  

EVENT: The EVENT project, jointly funded by Government of Nepal and World Bank, began in 2011 aiming to increase the supply of skilled and employable labors in the local and overseas job market. The project aims to support 35000 youths, prioritizing poor dalits, janajatis, women and people from remote, through result based and voucher based training models.   

TCN has been working for the project since its first call in 2011. TCN provided skill training and employment services to 660 trainees in six different subjects namely building electrician, tailor, community livestock assistant, hand embroider, mobile repairer in Chitwan, Nawalparasi and Rupandehi districts under the first and second round of contract of result based training modality. Similarly, 340 participants from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts were trained under first and second round of contract of voucher based training modality.  Conducting of market appraisal, selecting of appropriate trainees, imparting the high quality skill training incorporating skill plus components in the curricula and providing post training support were major activities carried out by TCN in this project. All trainings were for 3 months duration. CTEVT curricula were followed and NSTB conducted skill testing of the training graduates. TCN has achieved 66% of net employment result in the training conducted for EVENT.

EPSP: EPSP was implemented by Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction using grant from the World Bank. The objective of the project was to contribute to the peace process by providing rehabilitation services to eligible conflict affected persons. One of the components of the project was the rehabilitation support to conflict affected families and individuals through Employment/ Self Employment Services (ESES). One of the services under ESES was vocational training services with related literacy and life skills training.

TCN was awarded contract to implement the project in 28 different districts (namely Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Darchula, Achham, Kanchanpur in far western region)  covering all five development regions in six different trades namely mobile repairer, building electrician, vehicle driver, beautician, fruits and vegetables processor and Solar PV Technician. Delivering of the services to 1640 numbers of conflict affected people in the districts was timely completed. Identifying of appropriate trades, disseminating of information and selecting of trainees, conducting of skill training, involving the graduates in skill testing and facilitating for job placement of the graduates are the major tasks carried out by TCN in the project. All trainings were for 3 months duration. CTEVT curricula were followed and NSTB conducted skill testing of the training graduates. In consideration of background of trainees, project has set expected average employment rate of 50% for the project where TCN achieved 56% of employment success as an average in 28 districts.

UNIRP: UNIRP is providing vocational skills training and post training support to discharged PLAs (verified minors and late recruits: VMLRS) implemented jointly with UNDP, ILO, UNFPA and Government of Nepal, Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction.

UNIRP assigned TCN to implement the project in central and eastern region of Nepal including Sunsari, Morang, Chitwan, Taplejung etc. district. The project targeted to create self employment of VMLRS (discharged PLAs). TCN imparted skill training in more than 20 different subjects and facilitated for post training start-up support to the graduates in the course of achieving the project’s objectives. TCN carried out three major activities namely in-house skill training activity, refreshment skill training activity and business startup support activity to the almost the VMLRS recommended by the UNIRP. 

 GIZ (Support to the Piece Process): Since its inception in 2007, the project has been implemented in partnership between German Development Cooperation and Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction in a bid to sustain Nepal’s delicate peace process following ten years of civil war. This project has targeted to PLAs in cantonments and TCN has been providing skill training to PLAs within the cantonments since 2009. TCN was given opportunity to provide skill training to Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLAs) inside cantonments no. 1, 3,4,6 and 7 in eight different trades namely furniture carpenter, building electrician, mason, plumber, tailor, computer hardware technician, mobile repairer and vehicle driver. Training was given to the trades demanded by them and graduates were involved in the skill testing process. Hundred percentage of the participants got success in skill testing and we must feel proud of the positive impact brought out of the program to their civil life after their departure from the cantonments.

Skills for Employment Project (SEP): SEP is ADB funded long term project designed aiming to support in poverty alleviation goal. SEP is the project that extensible enhanced TCN’s institutional capacity. TCN remained a largest partner of the project implementing ten different contracts in nine different subjects under the PIU, Kathmandu.  In the four years of span, 2008 to 2012, TCN provided training to diversified subjects namely building electrician, industrial electrician, electrical appliances repairer, solar PV technician, Arc/Tig/Mig Welder, Mason, Plumber, Cook and construction worker (carpenter, bar bender and scaffolder). TCN accomplished the work of contract amount 154,689,181.00 offering training to 6180 people from 42 different districts from five development regions. 

As a part of SEP, TCN also worked with Cottage and Small Industries Development Board (CSIDB) in 5 districts in western, central and far western region and Department of Cottage and Small Industries (DCSI). TCN extended its reach to the remote villages of Doti, Gorkha, Arghakhachi, Myagdi, Kailali, Rupandehi and Kapilvastu doing justice to access and equality motto of the project. 3372 numbers of people were trained in 26  different trades namely Beautician, Tailor, Driver, Community Livestock Assistant, Building Electrician, Furniture Maker, Mason, Carpenter,  Welder, Bar Bender, General Mechanics, Motorcycle Mechanics, Radio TV Repairer, Concrete Worker, Scaffolder, Plumber, Handicrafts, Vegetables Producers, Bee keeper, Fruits and Vegetables Processor, Herbal Farm Worker, Agriculture Assistant, Cook, Baker, Shoe Maker, Vimal Processor   achieving more than 85% of gainful employment. All trainings were for 3 months duration. CTEVT curricula were followed and NSTB conducted skill testing of the training graduates.

Employment Fund: EF is established with the support of SDC and presently being funded jointly by DFID and World Bank. TCN has been working with this organization through FSKILL since beginning and has provided training and employment support to 2000 youths in 12 districts of central and western region.

Vocational and Skills Development Training Directorate: VSDTD is a government organization under Ministry of labor. TCN has been working with this since 2002 and has provided skills training to 2500 youths around the Nepal.

CARE Nepal (SAMANATA): This is EC supported projected implemented jointly through CARE and DNF. TCN has provided skills training and employment support to Tarai Dalit youths male and female.

Rural Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Sector Development Program (RRRSDP)/GON: RRRSDP is being implemented in 20 core district and DoLIDAR is implementing the project. Main aim of the project is to increase connectivity, enhance economic and employment opportunities and increase the access to social and market services of rural community people. ADB, DFID, SDC, OFID and OPEC are the consortium partners in the project. TCN has worked in 10 districts for empowering community through skill training and employment.