KATHMANDU: In a bid to promote the concept of 'learning by earning', the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for skill enhancement and apprenticeship for CTEVT students.

The MoU is expected to ensure skill enhancement for students of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) through workplace learning. Under this agreement, CTEVT students will be hired for projects under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation in an apprenticeship model.

The MoU was signed on Thursday by the Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, and the Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Sumana Shrestha.

On the occasion, Minister Shrestha emphasized that education should equip the workforce with the necessary skills to meet the labor market's demands. "We can retain our youth in the country only by providing them with employment," she added.

Similarly, Minister Basnet stated that the MoU aims to develop a labor culture and impart practical skills by placing students in the workplace. He described the MoU as a milestone in connecting CTEVT students to the workplace and the labor market.

Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Kulman Ghising, highlighted that the performance of interns hired by the NEA for various projects has been highly praiseworthy and mentioned that such best practices would be expanded if the MoU is well implemented.

The Ministry of Education will develop the relevant curriculum, while the Ministry of Energy will provide economic support to the Ministry of Education in accordance with the existing rules of the CTEVT. -- RSS