Foreign returnees taking skills training

By Our Correspondent, Dhalkebar, Aug 23: Niraj Joshi of Ganeshman Charnath Municipality-4, Bharatpur, who returned home from foreign employment six months ago, is now taking skill training in making windows and doors from aluminum.

He is taking training in making aluminum doors in Birendra Bazaar as he can be employed locally and get a good salary when he goes for foreign employment with training.

He returned from working in a gas company in Saudi Arabia for three years as part of foreign employment. “I had to face a lot of hardship for the first six months because I did not have the skills to do the work in the gas company.”

"After the technicians working in the company gradually taught me the related work, I finally got the job. Meanwhile, the manager of the company used me to do cleaning and sometimes labor.

The salary was also low. Sometimes, I wanted to return home. However, I stayed there thinking that I would be in more trouble to pay the loans taken to go abroad,'' he said.

The practice of installing doors and windows of aluminum pipes in new houses that are being built at the local level has increased a lot. The demand is also increasing.

"I am learning this skill in the hope that I can get employment in the village, otherwise I will go for foreign employment acquiring skills," he said.

He also said that if people reached a foreign land without skills, they would not get the expected work and salaries.

Joshi is taking a one-month free training on aluminum door making conducted by the Small Business Consulting and Training Centre with the support of UNDP's 'Skills' project in Birendra Bazaar.

Along with him, 20 young people who have returned from foreign employment are also taking the training.

Similarly, Sukhdev Mahato of Mithila Municipality-2, Dhanusha, who has returned from foreign employment, is taking training as an electrician for a month to be employed at the local level.

Mahato, who returned from working as a laborer in Malaysia for two years, said that he will now learn the work of an electrician and work here.

Mahato would get 700 to 950 Riyals for working as a laborer in Malaysia.

A skilled friend who went to Malaysia with him used to get a salary of 1,500 to 1,800 Riyals.

However, after taking this training, he thought of working in Nepal.

Small Business Consulting and Training Centre, Parsa has conducted a one-month building electrician training at Bishwakarma Chowk in Mithila Municipality.

Bijay Srivastava, Director of Small Business Consulting and Training Centre, said that with the help of UNDP's 'Skills' project, skill-based training has been conducted under the free skill and capacity-building program for Nepalis who have returned from foreign employment.

He informed that the trainees will be provided with basic professional tools and equipment and a certificate from Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT).