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Sharing and Review of the Step Up Project

Nepal
Labour market insertion
Sabina Sitaula15.04.2025
On 11 March 2025, Swisscontact hosted a ‘Sharing and Review Event’ to mark the closure of the Step Up Project (2021–2024). Hon. Sharat Singh Bhandari, Minister, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) attended the event as the Chief Guest, joining a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from local government, the private sector, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC, and the International Labour Organization (ILO). This event provided an opportunity to reflect on the project’s achievements, share lessons learnt, and identify ways to sustain its impact with the public representatives on how policies can be more inclusive for young people to increase their employability and support their entrepreneurial vision.
"Speaking as the Chief Guest of the event, Hon. Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari said, “The Labour Market Information System (LMIS) developed with support from the Step Up project — Shramsansar (which translates to ‘world of labour’) — is truly a world of labour. We envision it as a one-funnel approach that connects all labour market-related services."
Hon. Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari 
Hon. Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari
Nayan sharing his thoughts on how initiatives like Step Up can support aspiring entrepreneurs during a panel discussion at the project's 'Sharing and Review' event
" Young people like me can become successful entrepreneurs with the right guidance and support. The entrepreneurship development training I participated in taught me how to start and grow a small business. Now, I’m running a vegetable farm, and my dream is to make our municipality self-sufficient in fresh produce. I urge the policy makers to incorporate learnings from such programs so that more young people can turn their aspirations into reality."
Nayan Kumar Chandrabanshi, a project beneficiary who benefitted from the Entrepreneurship Development Training provided with Step Up's support

Step Up project phases out

Implemented from 2021 to 2024, the Step Up project aimed to strengthen support services within the employment ecosystem, promote entrepreneurship, and foster self-employment among youth in key economic areas of Koshi Province. The project used a multi-faceted approach to address systemic gaps while providing individuals with practical skills and support.

A key achievement of the project was the development of Shramsansar, a Labour Market Information System (LMIS). The platform is now being scaled up to a national level, contributing significantly to the labour market ecosystem.

To empower youth, the project provided demand-based vocational training in areas like garment fabrication and Electric Vehicle (EV) repair and maintenance, benefiting over 1,000 individuals. Additionally, entrepreneurship development training reached 548 individuals (415 women), with 37 reporting income growth.

Step Up also supported early-stage startups through incubation providing resources, guidance, and mentorship, resulting in 45 graduates. To support asipiring entrepreneurs brainstorm, pitch and start testing their business ideas, Step Up completed 6 cycles of ideation with 181 graduates (59 women) with 4 of them successfully initiating their startups. Two business networks received capacity-building support, and 108 individuals (106 women) benefited from Business Development Support (BDS) promotional activities. Furthermore, employment and entrepreneurship fairs organised with the support of Step Up attracted over 6,000 youth participants.

The project also disbursed seed funding to 170 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) (104 women-led), helping 17 businesses increase their income. Additionally, 159 entrepreneurs formalised their businesses, and four accessed loans totalling CHF 28,333 with support from the project.

The outcomes of Step Up underscore its impact on employability, entrepreneurship, and labour market access. The project laid a solid foundation for future progress by building local capacity, expanding financial access, and fostering public-private collaboration. As the project concludes, the event served as an essential platform to celebrate milestones and engage in forward-looking discussions.

Esteemed guests alongside the Swisscontact Step Up team at the event

The Step Up project is financed by the Happel Foundation, among other donors. It is part of the Swisscontact Development Porgramme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.

2021 - 2024
Nepal
Labour market insertion, Migration
Step Up – Improving labour market access for unemployed
Nepal faces enormous employment challenges that were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Difficulties to find gainful employment for the unemployed include lack of information on jobs and business opportunities, appropriate skills and access to networks and support services such as career guidance or counselling. In addition, business support services that provide entrepreneurs with services to start, sustain and improve their businesses are weak or even missing. The project aims to address these deficiencies in the current employment ecosystem and contribute to the Government of Nepal’s efforts to increase job creation and the employability of its labour force.
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