2024 KDI-World Bank Study Tour on Enhancing Employment Support Services and Workforce Training in Nepal

• The ‘2024 KDI-World Bank Study Tour on Enhancing Employment Support Services and Workforce Training in Nepal’ was jointly organized by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and the World Bank (WB) from June 3rd to 7th, 2024.

  
  The KDI Global Knowledge Exchange and Development Center (GKEDC) organized a study tour to assist the Nepalese government in establishing an employment support service system and workforce training programs to increase the youth employment rate in Nepal.
  
  Representatives from key government ministries and agencies in Nepal participated in the study tour, including joint secretaries and officials from the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance, the National Planning Commission, the Employment Service Center, and the National Academy of Vocational Training. Additionally, experts from the World Bank's Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice, responsible for employment sector projects in Nepal, also took part.
  
  The five-day study tour included lectures, meetings with government ministries, public institutions, and private firms involved in South Korea's workforce training and employment policies, and a debriefing session.
   

• Day 1 (June 3rd): Employment Information System and OJT-related Programs/Systems by Industry-Academia and Public Institutions

  
  On June 3rd, the participants attended a lecture by the Korea Employment Information Institute on South Korea's national employment information system and measures to address job mismatches. Following the lecture, they had meetings with the Human Resources Development Service of Korea  and Tech University of Korea to discuss South Korea's work-study dual program and the enhancement of job skills through on-the-job training (OJT) and off-the-job training (Off-JT) programs.

 

• Day 2 (June 4th): Best Practices of SMEs Implementing OJT and Employment Services of Public Institution

  
  On June 4th, the participants visited MAPAL HiTECO and HEAD Co. to learn about the best practices of SMEs implementing work-study dual programs in South Korea. They also visited the Siheung Employment Welfare Plus Center to understand its integrated network of employment support services, and the Korea Labor and Employment Service to discuss labor relations in Korea and explore potential solutions to enhance companies' innovation competitiveness.

 

• Day 3 (June 5th): National Employment Portal Service and Vocational Skill Development/Employment Service Policy

  
  On June 5th, the participants held meetings with the Skills Development Policy Division and the Employment Services Policy Division of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), as well as the Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS). They discussed the current status of Korea's vocational skills development policies, employment service delivery system, and the WorkNet system. Additionally, they visited the Daejeon Employment Welfare Plus Center (EWPC) to learn about its one-stop employment welfare services.

 

• Day 4 and 5 (June 6th, 7th) A Cultural Event and a Debriefing Session

  
  After a cultural event on June 6th, the participants had a debriefing session on June 7th. During the debriefing session, they discussed how to benchmark South Korea's practices for application to Nepal's policies.

 

• The Nepalese participants expressed their deep gratitude to the KDI GKEDC for providing the study tour, which helped them strengthen their practical knowledge and policy-making capabilities. Dr. Dong Soo Kang, the Executive Director of KDI GKEDC, stated his hope that this study tour will contribute to the development of Nepal's employment support system and enhance bilateral cooperation.

 

Written by Yerim  Kim, Head of Global Knowledge Cooperation Team 2 , 02-6312-4088, kimyerim@kdi.lanama.shop