May 27, 2019
Vocational training at plumbing trade started in February 2019 for a six-month course from the Pankchakanya training Institute (PTI) in Pokhara. 20 trainees, selected from economically disadvantaged groups, are now being trained. The objective of the training is to develop plumbing skills that help them to become financially independent and support their living. The training is of a level 1 standard with a duration of 390 hours, according to the curriculum approved by the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT), a national autonomous apex body of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
Participants are actively participating in both theoretical and practical sessions. They are very enthusiastic and have learned a lot, close to completion of the training. Now they can cut and fix the pipes, connect the commode, toilet syphon, etc. They seem very excited to learn and practice the skills as much as possible. This development observed during the field visit from the country office of the Unica Foundation in mid-April 2019.
Participants showed their gratitude to the Unica Foundation for providing this skill training when they were stayed unemployed, which brings hope for them to sustain independently. One participant said, he is keen to learn all the techniques and procedures of plumbing as far as he can and then will see how he can use this skills in the market. Another one said, once the training is complete he will use this skills as a skilled business. Moreover, some of the participants were keenly interested to continue the training with an advanced course, which is Level II. They are now learning and practicing to sharpen their skills as well as for the exam, that’s is scheduled in May 2019.
The PTI manager shared that the training goes very smoothly according to the timeline, without compromising the quality, and without being confronted with significant challenges. In addition, the institute is satisfied with both the trainer and the participants.
