Youth Employment Project Closure and Experience Sharing Program 

YEP enhanced employability for 3,019 youths, helping them gain better wages and self-employment in six districts of Nepal - Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Mahottari, Sarlahi, and Sindhuli. A total of eight implementing partners worked with YEP to deliver skills development, skills enhancement, and entrepreneurship promotion trainings, building capacity of youths in these districts.   

The farewell and an experience sharing program was held to commemorate the IPs effort in working towards the project’s objective on youth employment. Due to the ongoing pandemic, only one representative per partner organisation was invited.  

During the program IPs got to share their experience and learning while providing feedback to the project. Most IPs valued YEP’s unique working model of taking a minimum token fee from training participants and to reimburse them after the completion. This model created fewer dropouts because participants felt ownership over their own training. Partners also appreciated the cost-sharing approach of YEP, where the project worked together with the local government to co-fund trainings. YEP had piloted and championed this approach, leading to some IPs implementing it themselves. Other components discussed were the MRM system, result-based approach, demand-based training and flexible working modalities. When receiving the feedbacks, some IPs suggested giving building capacity training to partner organisation staff along with the trainers, leading to enhancement of both their working capabilities. For higher level trades and complex trainings, some IPs also shared that it would be better to receive more equipment and technology to support the trainees in the future. The partners hoped that the project would use their feedback while planning any future work.   

The program was concluded by Swisscontact Nepal Country Director, Mr. Sanjay Karki. He delivered an acknowledgement speech, thanking the project team and partners for a successful project closure, and handed over appreciation certificates to all IPs.