Working Approach

Initially, SKILL’s primary challenge was introducing a novel approach called the mobile training. The initial years were full of challenges and it was often difficult convincing local communities about the usefulness of the approach. However, once this approach proved its usefulness, local communities were more than willing to work together with SKILL. The path was much easier from then on. Now it being widely replicated by the donors and actors involved in the TEVT sectors in Nepal. 

SKILL’s Working Approaches are; 

Mobile, short yet quality vocational training is the key feature of SKILL. SKILL meets unemployed youth at their doorstep, assesses their needs and the demand of the local market and imparts vocational skills lasting from a two weeks to three months. A dedicated core team of professional instructors with support of pool staff goes to the training venues and lives and work with the trainees for the full duration of the training.  At the end of the training, they are awarded with a SKILL certificate as recognition for their skills. In order to certify the imparted skills from the government, SKILL has been organizing skill test for its trainees from CTEVT at the end of training session.

SKILL trainees are economically the poor and socially disadvantaged unemployed out of school youths. Youths from poor and disadvantaged communities without good educational base can neither afford nor compete for city centered academic and vocational institutions. SKILL works through its local coordinators to organize and coordinate the trainings and follow-up activities. These local coordinators are well trained in assessing market demand, selecting participants, managing training events at the local level and finally linking trainees in to the world of work. 

Employment: SKILL distinct feature of mobile vocational skill training linked to employment. SKILL conducts training only after analyzing the market demand and employability aspect. One should fully aware that vocational training is only the means of creating employment. Since its inception SKILL carefully assessed the market so as to ensure employability of the imparted of skills. One of the major thrusts of the mobile training is to create self-employment opportunities at the local level.

Practicality: All SKILL trainings are conducted virtually “hands on” in a group of 15 to 20 trainees. Wherever opportune, SKILL trainees do live work in their locality and rendered their services or products to the end users. A set of basic tools is provided to each trainee so that they can take up their profession immediately after the training.

Follow-up and upgrading: Technology changes with time, SKILL keeps in touch with its graduates long after the trainings are over. Graduates communicate their problems and SKILL instructors advise them, provide solutions through the “SKILL Patra” a quarterly newsletter that has also become a platform for graduates to express their views, ideas, and experiences. Apart from this SKILL on regular basis keep in touch with its graduates either through personal contact or by letter and pertains to the current technical problem promptly. This has become a very effective counseling tool as ex-trainees get immediate answer to their problem. Tracer studies are conducted from time to time on the status of ex-trainees, their achievements and impacts, problems and needs. Follow-up training for upgrading the skills is regularly pursued and new training packages are developed based on market potential.