Youth unemployment is a huge problem in Nepal. This is partly to do with the lack of employment opportunities, but it is also due to the lack of programs available to prepare young people for work, and the poor quality and prescriptive nature of education offered in Nepal.
The project helps equip school leavers with the necessary skills to work. It uses experiential and problem-solving methods and innovative learning techniques to enable them to become more confident and rounded individuals, with the necessary skills to contribute to the Nepalese economy and its social development.
The project is based on 3 main principles:
• Exposure: Through the Guest Speaker Series & Field Visits, students are exposed to specialists from different fields of expertise and learn about different working environments. This also gives them the opportunity to build relationships and network in prospective industries and work habitats.
• Explore: Career counseling enables students to explore their career interests and further academic/work plans. This includes advice on interview techniques, CV development, and explores the possibilities of further and higher education; an opportunity not even considered by many of the participating students.
• Experiment: The day-to-day class activities are filled with group projects/challenges to develop problem solving and team working skills. The development of these skills is absolutely vital in developing innovative and independent workers who will be a real asset to the Nepalese work force.
The programs includes the following activities and outcomes:
• Students receive regular counseling sessions from personal growth councilors, and guidance to consider specific career paths.
• Students receive training on effective writing skills, CV development, etc.
• Students participate in role play and discussions to develop presentation and interviewing skills.
• Students receive instructions on how to research well and use online tools more effectively to advance their academic and career pursuits.
• Students carry out weekly challenges that will train them in research, planning, problem solving, implementation and presentation skills.
• Students receive feedback and exposure from a distinguished person in their related fields in the Weekly Guest Speaker Series, and partake in field visits to potential work destinations.
Many of the activities and opportunities described above are currently only available to the elite class in Nepal who can afford the very best education, or choose education abroad. Together with Edulift, Freedom to Learn works with many of the poorest and marginalised communities in Nepal, to bring opportunities to young people leaving school that need it the most. This is absolutely fundamental to developing a more equitable and balanced economy and society after the 10 year civil war. We are dedicated as an organisation to support young people to develop the skills and knowledge they need to enter into valued and productive employment, and become real assets to the future development of Nepal.
