Vocational Training
Nepal is a country of culture, art and craftsmanship. People learn skill from their family traditionally. But people have less knowledge about current marketable products and its quality. Some clever traders exploit producers and thus producers are becoming poorer. As a result, new generation's young people are being discouraged by their family occupations and are trying to find new jobs. However, job market is becoming more competitive especially for low educated underprivileged people and vocational training is becoming more costly and thus marginalized people are not able to afford.
KTS aimed to support people from uneducated, low caste, physically challenged, destitute women by providing useful, marketable and self-employment type of vocational training. In this regards KTS selected three major areas of trainings - Hand-knitting, Carpet weaving and Carpentry training.
The hand knitting skill is one of the best skills for people with primary eductaion especially women and physically challenged. The training is very popular amongst women and physically challenged. The training is 2 hours a day, five days a week, for three months. amateur knitters also join the course for skill upgrade. KTS circulate the details of training to NGO's, NGO's and INGO's duly issuing advertisement in national newspapers, local radios, FM etc. The only training in which KTS charges fee from trainees at the rate of NPR 150 (US $ 2.00) per month from those who can afford. During the training period, KTS provides stationery materials and wools free of cost.
The carpet weaving skill is very useful for less educated and illiterate people. In the beginning KTS conducted 2 years full course covering carding, spinning, weaving, designing, dying and cutting.
Since 1994 KTS developed short term practical training course assuming underprivileged should get benefit quickly. KTS started package training such as 1 month spinning training and 1 month on-the-job training and similarly 4 month weaving training and 2 month on-the-job training instead of 2 year course. The training was very popular amongst underprivileged, which helped them to earn their livelihood. But due to decline of Carpet industries, the opportunity to get job has lessened in the market. However the migrated and local underprivileged people are interested to get training. During the training period KTS provides NPR 20 allowance per day, facility of childcare centre for their young children and older children in free primary school in KTS. The training programme is running without any outside funding since 1994.
The Carpentry skill is one of the most useful skills for the people especially in underdeveloped countries. Carpentry skilled people get job very easily anywhere, therefore KTS is continuing two years carpentry training as usual. The training course is based on 80% practical and 20% theory. During the training period students learn skills on making of different types of furniture. As the trainees are mostly from very poor family background, without economic support it is not possible for them to survive at training period. Therefore, KTS provides NPR 700 per month as a training allowance.