Background – It is true that as far back as the early 1990s, there were already a dozen vocational schools operating in Nepal; however, there was no possibility for their teachers to undergo the appropriate training within the country. As a result, there was a real shortage of qualified personnel for the vocational schools and the quality of many vocational training courses simply did not meet the standards demanded by the prevailing business requirements. The consequence of this was that many jobs, particularly those in urban areas, were being taken by migrant labourers (including those from India) and a large number of Nepalese were unable to find appropriate jobs, despite having successfully completed their vocational training courses.

Project – The goal is to transform the Training Institute for Technical Instruction (TITI) in Kathmandu into a centralised centre of excellence for the training and development of vocational educational teachers. To achieve this, a training programme has been developed that has been carefully tailored to meet the local requirements and general framework. Today at the TITI teaching staff, curriculum developers (those who actually design the training), as well as headmistresses and headmasters, are able to complete basic and additional training through a modular course system. The teaching diploma can be obtained on a part-time basis, as the student continues to work, or through full-time study. For those teaching staff whose practical experience in their respective field is limited or perhaps non-existent, professional practical training is being provided in a variety of companies and organisations involved in industry, commerce, agriculture and health care. Furthermore, short courses are available for those working in the public and private sectors. To date, some 5,000 people have been able to enjoy the benefits of the broad range of courses on offer. Since 1997, it has been compulsory for all teaching staff at state recognised vocational education establishments to complete the training and development courses at TITI. In the meantime, the teaching materials developed by TITI have been introduced in more than 10 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. As a direct result, the Institute has achieved international recognition and, to illustrate this, in 2006 was honoured by the Indian Society for Training and Development for its innovative training practices. Working closely with the state vocational education agencies, TITI is also becoming involved in the sustainable improvement of the Nepalese vocational education system.