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Research
and Information Division This Division:
- Conducts follow-up/ tracer studies of TEVT graduates.
- Carries out feasibility studies for establishing new
Technical Schools (TS).
- Conducts Training Needs Assessment (TNA).
- Conducts other research studies as per needs and request
to the Division.
- Develops data based information system.
- Supplies TEVT related information to all the concerned
stakeholders.
- Makes television programs to inform the public about
its activities.
Moreover, It has experiences in providing
consultancy in TEVT sub-sector and conducting massive
research activities. These research products are used
for training, planning and project proposal development.
Micro Level Forum is one of the components
of Research and Information Division. The objective of
this program is to establish a forum for coordination
among TEVT and Entrepreneurship Development (ED) stakeholders.
It also aims to form better coordination between the technical
education and the world of work so that this will help
to establish a source of information for TEVT and ED.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF JOB OPPORTUNIY OF DCE GRADUATES
The study on ‘exploring opportunity for DCE graduates from different CTEVT affiliated institutes’ was undertaken in July 2008. The study was basically focused on three main objectives: to identify the employment opportunity of diploma level graduates in IT sector, to explore various types of demand of IT professionals in the market and to collect feedback and comments for making prevailing curriculum of DCE more saleable in the market.
In order to achieve the set objectives for the study, different methods were applied. Both qualitative and quantitative information were collected in the study. Journals, and books, in relevant field, IT professionals, teachers, and graduates of computer science, IT entrepreneurs, Higher Level IT Commission and other similar organizations from different districts were the main sources of information. A structured questionnaire was administered to 70 graduate students. Many Focus Group Discussions and Semi Structured Interviews were conducted with IT professionals, managers and teachers from different institutes.
Based on these set objectives, the study assessed DCE course, and its market and opportunity. It also assessed status of employment, types of employment, income from employment, employer satisfaction, preferences on employment, perspective on employment opportunity and curriculum development.
The study revealed that a more than 54 percent of DCE graduates were employed in different places in and outside the country. Majority of graduates were involved as a computer operator. Although range of salary is in between 5000-10,000 for graduates, employers in majority of the cases were found to be satisfied with their performance.
It was found from qualitative discussion that despite low standard curriculum and poor management of institutions the DCE graduates have high demand in job market both in country and abroad particularly in gulf countries, Malaysia, Thailand, and India. Reasons provided behind it were: no high expectation of salary and less conscious to hierarchy and status.
It was found to be important from the study that there is a need to change in the curriculum for DCE graduates to improve prevailing employment status. CTEVT seems to be weak in regular monitoring /supervision of its affiliated institutions.
It seems true that CTEVT has to require massive marketing of significance and strength of DCE graduates. In this connection, CTEVT should approach to Public Service Commission, Ministries, corporate, industries and other potential employers to create position for DCE graduates. CTEVT should especially approach to PSE to create suitable post to DCE graduate while recruiting for government employment. It is the trend that PSC always recruit short term training holders of IT that has discouraged DCE graduates as they can reveal better performance and wider range of competencies as compared to short term training holder.
It was found that students as well as IT professionals were not satisfied with the time given for practical classes. Existing theory course is relatively lengthy as compared to practical portion. So that it should be reversed and should have provision of internship. The study has been able to explore the areas of improvement by subjects, title and sections. Therefore, it would be good to revisit the curriculum for DCE graduates and plan accordingly before implementation through its affiliated institutes. Apart from this, government policy is equally responsible for not creating conducive environment to develop IT as an industry.
Remarkable number of graduates was found to be engaged in self employment too. Those who are not getting job at present are also looking for self employment or taking initiative for entrepreneurship. Self employment/entrepreneurship doesn’t only provide employment to in itself it also creates job to other individuals too. Hence it has unseen positive impact in the job market. Field of IT has been expanding day by day even in remote areas of Nepal. Similarly young people are more attracting towards IT and its application. This is encouraging sign for widening job market of DCE graduate in the future.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF LABOUR MARKETS NEED ASSESMENT
Technical and vocational education forms a fundamental part of a country's economy. It builds up human capital needed for the production of goods and services. It provides opportunities to target learners in acquiring knowledge and skills of a particular occupation needed for gainful employment. Although it is not possible to supply skilled human resource in all types of occupations required globally, Nepal can supply part of the semi skilled and skilled human resources required in the foreign employment market. However, due to lack of labor market assessment, the Technical Training Providers (TTPs) have been producing same type of human resource or labours based on traditional technology without considering changing national and international market needs that have changed with the global technological changes. Consequently, employment rate of TEVT graduates is at decreasing mode. Thus, national and foreign labor market needs assessment was urgently felt in order to modify TEVT curriculum so that the TEVT providers could produce skilled human resources as per the needs of global labor market. A study on national and foreign labor market needs assessment has become apparent with the emphasis on investigating:
• Situation of internal (national) labor market;
• Types of human resources required for internal as well as external labor market;
• Types and areas of training required for the changing needs of the labor market.
The objectives of this study were twofold:
? First, to identify the Human Resource Needs for internal as well as external labor market;
? Second, to identify the types and areas of training in order to fulfill the changing needs of the labor market.
The study was limited to construction, mechanical, electrical, agriculture and hospitality sectors only. It has not covered health sector.
Likewise, the study covered 22 districts only, and it was also limited to 95 business and industries and 30 foreign employment agencies, and 11 Nepalese workers returned from foreign employment only.
The methodology of the study was as follows:
I. This research mainly adopted survey technique of quantitative research using structured questionnaire. However, as required, qualitative data was also gathered through discussion with employers of business and industry and foreign employment agencies, and using semi-structured interview with politicians, social workers and intellectuals. Employers of business and industry. Moreover, interviews with politicians, social workers, and intellectuals as well as foreign employments agencies were also taken for collecting data.
After analyzing the data, the following findings were enlisted:
1. In business and industry of Nepal, the number of unskilled workforce is found high. There was inadequacy of skilled workforce.
2. Although the business and industry have human resource development plan, it is geared up through informal training: The unskilled workers learn the skill through the skilled senior workers. Skill learned through such informal way does not have any formal system for skill level assessment.
3. In business and industry, new workforce is not frequently required. If they ever needed new workers, most business and industries get the workers through contact with friends and relatives. Very few business and industries advertise for vacancy. Because of lack of disciplined workers employers of business and industry reluctant to hire new workers through advertisement.
5. Because it is very difficult to get highly skilled workforce, and because of the requirement of skilled and/or highly skilled technical workforce for business and industry to the level of overseer and engineer, in line to the production of skilled or highly skilled technical workforce, establishment of a Technical University was preferred.
6. In order to make the workforce absorbable in the labor market, especially in the context of changing technology as well as competitive labor market that demands skilled and highly skilled workforce, identifying the kind and level of workforce need was preferred by business and industry (Refer to Table 16 for required technical workforce in accordance to New Technology).
7. The trend of workers’ turn over is quite high in business and industries. The main reason for leaving the job by the workers was attraction in foreign employment. Secondly, they left the job due to family reasons. However, family reasons also meant to go to foreign employment expecting to earn more than what is earned here in Nepal, so that he/she can look after the family well.
8. Although foreign employment was not regarded safe in terms of wage and other security, workers were found to leave the job to go for foreign employment with a hope to get higher wage or salary. However, the economic condition of the workers returning from foreign employment was not found that satisfactory.
9. Since the business and industry need skilled technical workforce, but they are not in position to hire new raw or unskilled / semi-skilled workforce frequently, the B & I are in need of multi-skilled workforce who can perform in different areas of work in the industries.
10. Nepalese workers worked mostly in service and production oriented work. The countries where most Nepalese workers went for employment are Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. Few went to Singapore and UAE.
11. The occupations, which they worked in, were mainly Scaffolder, Room Service Manager, Service Assistant, Driver, Supervisor, Helper, and Electrician. However, it was also found that the work in abroad was different from what was signed for in the contract. On one hand, the workers are unskilled, even if they have training of few duration, this would not be enough to match the kind of job they do in foreign company. On the other hand, they were paid lower than the agreement.
12. Some workers learned skills such as driving (not mentioned whether heavy or light driving); Plumbing/Rigger/Mason/Painter/Scaffolder; Food and Hygiene; Plate making, Mobile repairing; and fire fighting (Damkal operation). These are the skills, which they could have easily learned in Nepal.
13. Although they learned the skill while working in foreign company, they were not able to use the skill here in Nepal, because of lack of technology that is compatible to the skills they learned or there is no job related to the skill they learned in foreign company. This gave clear indication that first, to identify the kind of skill required for foreign company where the workers are sent, then provide the identified skill training so that the person does not have to feel embarrassed to work in the foreign company. Workers sent to foreign are image of Nepal. Therefore, the concerned needs to work on to keep good image of Nepal.
14. While in foreign employment workers faced many other problems besides skill training problems. The main problems they faced were low salary than what was agreed upon; language problem, even illegal living, and sometimes they were homesick. These facts indicated that for Nepali youth foreign employment is not a choice but it is compulsion, because of lack of employment opportunity in the country as well as lack of skill to earn enough to support the family. Hence, returned workers suggested other Nepalese youth who intend to go for foreign employment to get related skill training before going for foreign employment.
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