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Nepal is currently facing significant political instability as the failure to adopt a Constitution has hindered progress in a range of policy areas. Weak industrial relations and other simmering social and economic tensions provide the backdrop to a serious youth employment crisis. For young people who are working, informality is the norm. Over 90 per cent of young workers are in the informal economy. Young people facing bleak employment prospects are leaving the country in large numbers as temporary out-migration surges. This policy review is part of the support provided by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to Nepal; by analysing the policy environment surrounding youth employment, identifying gaps and proposing recommendations the intention is to assist Nepal to confront the challenges of poor youth transitions to the labour market.

Among the findings of the report are that: the sectoral composition of growth shows inherent weakness in relation to employment creation; prioritization of policies through tripartite review may be warranted; Nepal lacks a national platform for social dialogue on youth employment; Nepal has made major strides in improving educational access; higher education and vocational training have a supply-side bias; public employment services are weak and not functioning effectively; the informal economy is being given increasing policy attention in recognition of the detrimental impacts of poor-quality work for individuals, enterprises and the economy in general; and high levels of migration reflect the poor employment prospects in the local labour market.

Recommendations include: (1) mainstreaming youth targets into national policy agendas; (2) shifting more resources and investment into existing industrial policies; (3) revitalizing rural economies; (4) supporting the rights of migrant workers to ensure it pays dividends for sending and receiving countries and migrants themselves; (5) moving out of informality; (6) expanding educational access; (7) making vocational training an attractive option; (8) building labour market information systems; and (9) addressing social and economic exclusion.

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Building a skilled and diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is crucial for economic development, cross-border trade, and social inclusion in South Asia. However, underrepresentation of girls and women in STEM education and careers remains a persistent issue. What kinds of macro and micro socioeconomic interventions are needed to increase girls' and women's access to and participation in STEM education and careers in South Asia? This report compares trends in South Asia with global trends to examine how access to and choices of STEM fields affect girls' enrollment in upper secondary education, technical and vocational education and training, and higher education in the region as well as their selection of careers. Based on the analysis, it offers recommendations to policy makers and practitioners to improve inclusion.

The following are among the findings: (1) the five key opportunities to foster inclusion and enrollment in STEM education - and staunch the 'leaky pipeline' - are at the upper primary, lower and upper secondary, and tertiary education levels, and during the early career years; (2) a strong pathway from STEM education to career depends on an integrated, systematic approach that motivates students to pursue STEM fields, builds STEM skills, and removes barriers to diversity; and (3) with the increasing migration of workers between countries in South Asia, preparing a critical mass of semiskilled and skilled STEM migrant workers has cross-border value, especially for workers migrating from smaller to larger economies.

New ways of defining STEM occupations are required to help develop and sustain female interest in STEM education and careers. Potential strategies that governments can pursue include raising awareness and building knowledge and skills in STEM outside the formal academic environment, such as in after-school programs, science fairs and competitions, and summer camps, and developing and systematically disseminating standardized resources. Inclusion and diversity must be championed by governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders who stand to benefit from more diverse workforces. Though women themselves would likely be credible champions, in South Asia they are often constrained by a range of factors. This report addresses some of those obstacles.

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While the private sector in Nepal, although expanding, is still small to generate adequate employment opportunities, government public service, UN agencies, multilateral and bilateral agencies, and INGOs remain important hubs for employment. Started in 2007 initially focusing on the civil service, a reservation policy in Nepal has emerged as a key policy for employing women in the public service. Development agencies and INGOs working in the country have also developed workforce diversity policies to facilitate the recruitment of staff from marginalized groups including women. The role of such polices in promoting workforce diversity is little understood. This paper analyses workforce diversity and inclusion policies of governmental and non-governmental agencies and explores the importance of such policies for enhancing women's visibility and voice in the formal employment sector which would contribute to inclusive and sustainable development and policy making. It draws on the primary and secondary data of workforce diversity in government, development agencies, including INGOs. We find that affirmative action policies adopted by the government and other non-state actors for the recruitment of staff have enhanced the representation of women in the workforce. Given the deep-rooted gender discrimination and exclusionary social structures and institutions, we argue that affirmative action policies for women's representation is essential not only for creating a diverse workforce and promoting gender equality, but also for the best use of their knowledge, talent and perspectives to foster nation's inclusive development. We suggest necessary policy measures for creating visibility of women, voice and influence in policy making and development decision making and practices. This policy measure, we hope, would inform intervention strategies of governments and development agencies in Asia in making development and organizational systems that foster transformational change and empowerment of people with limited power and voice.

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Labour markets are becoming more dynamic in response to pressures from globalisation, new technologies and trade agreements, as well as cross-border migration, inter-generational differences, changing education imperatives and employer expectations. By focusing on several Asia Pacific countries, this book explores the differences in their workforces: ageing, or abundant in labour but lacking in skilled employees. One similarity these countries share is the difficulty in attracting and retaining employees with the required skillset and capabilities, and these constraints can stymie national economic growth and long term development. This book brings together national and international perspectives on employability challenges faced by selected countries in the Asia Pacific region. While the region is forecast to enjoy high growth in the coming decade, a recurring challenge is addressing skill shortages and ensuring effective transition from training colleges and universities into employment. Consequently, the book focuses on the roles of multiple stakeholders, primarily: governments, education providers and employers - in more effectively addressing these key socio-economic challenges.

Abstract from publisher's website.

The contents are as follows: Part I, 'The issues and challenges', contains the following chapters: Introduction: applicant work-readiness and graduate employability challenges in the Asia Pacific / John Burgess, Roslyn Cameron, Subas Dhakal and Kerry Brown; Graduate work-readiness in Asia Pacific economies: a review of the literature / Alan Nankervis, Verma Prikshat and Roslyn Cameron; Part II, 'Country studies', contains: Labour market and work-readiness challenges: the case of Taiwan / Min-Wen Sophie Chang and Julia Connell; Enhancing graduate work-readiness in Vietnam / Nguyen Danh Nguyen and Nguyen Ba Ngoc; Work-readiness in Malaysia / Noorziah Mohd Salleh, Jude Emelifeonwu, Jonathan Winterton and Kwok Mow Chan; 'The perfect storm': constraints on Indonesian economic growth posed by graduate work-readiness challenges / Soegeng Priyono and Alan Nankervis; Work-readiness in Singapore / Peter Waring, Christopher Vas and Azad Singh Bali; Antecedents, consequences and strategic responses to graduate work-readiness: challenges in India / Verma Prikshat, Sanjeev Kumar and Parnita Raje; Graduate employability in Australia: time for a VET and HE overhaul? / Alan Montague, Julia Connell and Barbara Mumme; The state of higher education and vocational education and training sectors in Nepal: implications for graduate work-readiness and sustainable development / Subas Dhakal; Work-readiness in Lao PDR / Vipapone Aphayvanh.

Part III, 'Comparative analysis and conclusions', contains the following chapters: A comparative perspective on work-readiness challenges in the Asia Pacific region / Subas Dhakal, John Burgess, Roslyn Cameron and Alan Nankervis; Conclusion: the future for work-readiness and graduate employability in the Asia Pacific / Roslyn Cameron, John Burgess, Subas Dhakal and Barbara Mumme. Individual chapters are available in VOCEDplus from TD/TNC 136.324 to TD/TNC 136.336. Show less

The movement of people in Southeast Asia is an issue of increasing importance. Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are now the origin of 8 per cent of the world's migrants. These countries host only 4 percent of the world's migrants but intra-regional migration has turned Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand into regional migration hubs that are home to 6.5 million ASEAN migrants. However, significant international and domestic labor mobility costs limit the ability of workers to change firms, sectors, and geographies in ASEAN. This report takes an innovative approach to estimate the costs for workers to migrate internationally. Singapore and Malaysia have the lowest international labor mobility costs in ASEAN while workers migrating to Myanmar and Vietnam have the highest costs. Singapore and Malaysia's more developed migration systems are a key reason for their lower labor mobility costs. How easily workers can move to take advantage of new opportunities is important in determining how they fare under the increased economic integration planned for ASEAN. To study this question, the report simulates how worker welfare is affected by enhanced trade integration under different scenarios of labor mobility costs. Region-wide, worker welfare would be 14 per cent higher if barriers to mobility were reduced for skilled workers and an additional 29 per cent if barriers to mobility were lowered for all workers. Weaknesses in migration systems increase international labor mobility costs, but policy reforms can help. Destination countries should work toward systems that are responsive to economic needs and consistent with domestic policies. Sending countries should balance protections for migrant workers with the needs of economic development.

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This study reviews the development of human capital in South Asia and analyzes contributing factors to human development including policies and strategies that countries in South Asia follow. Human capital is an important factor for economic growth in South Asia. Between 1981 and 2010, human capital contributed about 22 per cent of annual gross domestic product per worker growth in India. During the same period, it contributed around 21 per cent in Bangladesh and 16 per cent in Sri Lanka. However, education and skills remain the binding constraint. Raising the quality of education and skills in South Asia's workforce can play a critical role in catching up to the level of development of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and other successful Southeast Asian economies.

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This paper is part of the output of the project 'Linking Education and Labour Markets: Under what conditions can Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) improve the income of the youth?' (short title: LELAM TVET4Income). The project, financed jointly by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), aims to find out under what conditions and to what extent TVET can help to improve the labour market situation of the youth, especially in east developed, low and middle-income countries. The project consists of six teams coming from five different countries and four continents: Chile, Costa Rica, Benin, Nepal and Switzerland.

Drawing on the data over ten years (2007/08 to 2016/17), this paper analyzes public sector fund flow and budgetary allocations and expenditure in [technical and vocational education and training] TVET in Nepal which shows that the Nepali TVET has remained an area of low investment despite policy priority to it. The paper discusses how Nepal's recently adopted federalization has affected the budgeting process in the transition phase from the Old to the New Constitution. However, in the name of transition and lack of legal mechanism, the budgetary practices in TVET have not yet followed the spirit of the New Constitution. And thus, there has been little meaningful change in TVET budgetary practices. This situation could be understood as institutional weaknesses or a lack of strong will towards strengthening necessary institutions for the development of the sector. Foremost, there is a lack of clear understanding of seeing the TVET itself and its role in social, economic, and political processes. Conflict on the governance of TVET is obvious as Nepal is not yet experienced in coordinating the three political levels. Furthermore, the involvement of other stakeholders, including the private and industry sectors, is at a minimum in design and implementation of activities in the sector. These problems could be addressed by working for, through a collaborative chain of actions, a robust institutional mechanism that would facilitate the development of the TVET sector.

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This report provides an overview of the state of progress and the structural challenges faced by least developed countries (LDCs) along the dimensions of structural transformation, productive employment and just transition. It describes current trends in production, productivity, employment and decent work, as well as the role of social protection and institutions of work. It highlights the structural and labour market vulnerabilities most relevant for the LDCs and how they have affected the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 impacts and recovery prospects for the LDC economies and their populations.

To support a strong recovery in the LDCs that lays the foundation for long-term sustainable development, a renewed partnership with the LDCs and a set of national and global actions are required. These include employment and industrial policies, institutional reforms, measures to promote an enabling business environment for enterprises, investments in expanding human capabilities and productive capacities and strengthening the institutions of work. The report proposes a human-centred framework for a resilient and inclusive recovery that can set the LDCs on a sustainable development path towards a brighter future for their world of work.

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Information and communication technology (ICT) has the potential to revolutionize education equity, quality, and efficiency. South Asia's governments have recognized this potential and invested in ICT-focused education initiatives and projects. While these efforts helped to introduce ICT-enabled teaching and learning practices, they may not be sufficient for widespread sustainable adoption within their countries. The stage of implementation and impact of investments also vary significantly from country to country in South Asia. This paper examines the existing state and gaps of ICT in education of three South Asian countries - Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka - and suggests strategies to address these gaps.

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To meet the demands of the increasing socio-economic divide brought about by globalisation, it is imperative that technical and vocational education and training (TVET) take up the challenge to innovate and contribute to socio-economic transformation of developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region. These innovations may include: raising the general education background of vocational education; widening the route from vocational to higher education; the deployment of competence-based curriculum development mechanisms; and strengthening co-operation between education authorities and employment organisations and industries. This publication is a product of the different policies, ideas and conversations about the TVET agenda and reforms presented by experts across the Asia-Pacific region who participated in the International Conference on Innovations in TVET for Socio-Economic Development conference, which was held in Nepal in October 2018. It features papers and case studies from across the region, including input from Bhutan, China, Ecuador, Fiji, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Edited excerpts from publication.

This publication contains the following papers: Global trend of demand and supply of skilled workforce in the labor market / Ramhari Lamichhane (pages 15-28); Need for TVET quality assurance system and qualification standards (teacher-trainer-assessor) in the maritime industry / Angelica Baylon, Richard Teo, Vadm Eduardo Ma R. Santos (pages 29-46); Quality assurance through APACC accreditation in Thailand / Paiboon Saiyawongs (pages 47-60); TVET and industrial revolution 4.0 (IR4.0): challenges and opportunities / Noraini bt. Kaprawi, Affero bin Ismail (pages 61-68); Reforming TVET towards the needs of new economy the practice in China / Chandler Huang (pages 69-84); Tackling youth unemployment through vocational education and training (VET) in Nepal / Kushmakar Bhatta (pages 85-90); Skilled workforce and Nepalese construction industry / Birendra R. Pandey (pages 91-96); Ecuador case study: the drivers for enhancing the public employment service / Xavier Estupinan (pages 97-114); Gravity of TVET towards achieving SDGs in Nepal / Baikuntha Prasad Aryal (pages 115-126); Career oriented and recognised vocational qualifications system: a noble step in Nepal / Devi Prasad Dahal (pages 127-132); Role of dean in developing sector-institutional linkage / Murali Gopal Ranjitkar (pages 133-146); Successful model of vocational skills training (VST) in Bhutan / Palden Tshering (pages 147-152); Successful models of technical and vocational education and training in Fiji / Nigel Martin Healey (pages 153-156); Quality assurance in TVET: program evaluation in polytechnics and community colleges / Mohd Norhadi Bin Muda, Zaidi Bin Othman (pages 157-166); Vocational skills training for socio-economic development in the Maldives / Abdul Hannan Waheed (pages 167-170); Pakistan's successful model of vocational skill training / Muhammad Asif (pages 171-182); Expansion of TVET skills pathway in Papua New Guinea / Lindsay Lawrence Parry, Reuben Veratau Aue (pages 183-190); TVET trainer competency assessment system in the Philippines / Sheryll Paramo Hofilena (pages 191-200); Sri Lankan experiences in apprenticeship training / W.A.D.M.M. Wijesinghe, H.M.T.K. Herath (pages 201-207). Show less