Pokhara, Feb. 28 : His Majesty the King inaugurated the Pokhara Tourism Training Centre building newly constructed under the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (ctevt) at ward No. 12 phulbari in pokhara sub-metropolitan city amidst vedic recitals here today.
His Majesty also inspected various facilities like review hall, hotel, restaurant, administration section, cooking and baking facilities, bar, lab and class rooms in the building.
On the occasion, His Majesty was apprised by principal of the Centre Ramhari lamichhane of the objectives, activities and future programmes of the centre.
Upon arrival at the building site, His Majesty the King was greeted by Minister for youth, sports and culture Sharat Singh Bhandari, ctevt vice-chairman Saroj Devkota, member-secretary Jivan Raj Adhikari, principal of the centre Ramhari lamichhane, Kaski DDC chairman punya Prasad poudel, mayor of pokhara Krishna thapa and cdo shyam Sundar Sharma.
The training Centre building was constructed by His Majesty’s Government with the loan assistance of the Asian Development Bank and opec, and the grant assistance of Swiss Development Cooperation. The total construction cost was Rs. 42.5 million.
The centre’s primary objective is to generate more employment opportunities for Nepalese than foreigners in Nepal tourism business by providing them appropriate training, and producing skilled manpower much needed for tourism business.
The centre, which is making efforts to provide quality service to tourism business and generate employment and self-employment opportunities for the unemployed youth, is providing training in waiter/waitress service, front office operation, cooking and baking, house keeping, hotel accountancy, travel agency operation, air ticketing, tour guide, city tour guide and trekking guide. It is also offering courses in the English, French and Japanese languages.
The centre is equipped with state of the art equipment and facilities.
The centre which operates short courses ranging from one week to two months and long course for two months and more is equipped with laboratories and classrooms enough for 200 trainees. Native and foreign nationals trained at home and abroad provide training in different subjects.
Once the trainees receive theoretical and practical knowledge, they are sent to work in or out of pokhara at standard hotels, restaurants and travel agencies as part of on-the-job training.
Eighty-seven of those who have already received such training have taken up jobs at home and abroad.
Chitwan and makwanpur of narayani zone, kaski, syangja, tanahun and gorkha of gandaki zone, and Palpa, Rupandehi, Gulmi and Kapilvastu of Lumbini zone are the target areas of the centre. Besides, the centre also operates training on demand from any part of the country.
The centre has so far launched mobile, short and long courses. Of 200 trainees enlisted for long course for fiscal year 2056/57 bs, 185 are men and the rest are women.
A total of 1,092 men and 314 women have already received short course training.
Besides, 70 trainees including 67 men are also taking other long-course training and 22 persons including 15 men short-course training.
In the training, women’s participation is very low as compared to that of men. However, demand for women workers in tourism business is increasing.
Minimum eligibility for receiving training at the centre is the knowledge to read and write, slc pass, certificate level and diploma level depending on the nature of training.
Seven technicians, 15 administrators and one British volunteer are now at work at the centre.