Over a three-day period from January 30th to February 1st, 2024, esteemed leaders and experts from Nepal, Bolivia, and Colombia converged for a pivotal program aimed at fostering collaboration and sharing insights in the realm of labor competences certification, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), and the establishment of National Vocational Qualifications Frameworks. The event, a beacon of international cooperation, facilitated robust discussions on best practices and challenges within Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems.

The inaugural day commenced with esteemed figures delivering opening remarks, including Mr. Suresh Adhikari representing the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology of Nepal, Er. Mahesh Bhattarai, Member Secretary from Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) Nepal, Mr. Jose Luis Gutierrez, the Vice Minister of Higher Education from Bolivia, and Mr. Ueli Mauderli, Head of Cooperation at SDC Bolivia. Participants engaged in comprehensive discussions on the experiences of labor competences certification in Bolivia, Colombia, and Nepal.

Mr. Alex Tarquino, Technical Expert from the Ministry of Education in Bolivia, elucidated on the Plurinational Competences Certification System (SPCC), underscoring its pivotal role in offering opportunities for individuals who transitioned from education to the workforce. Bolivia's initiative has successfully certified approximately 86,000 individuals, boasting a streamlined process with results available within a swift 31 days.

Further insights were shared by Mr. Mario Rincón, National Coordinator of Labor Competences Certification in Colombia, who shed light on SENA, the national training service dedicated to developing vocational training programs for the Colombian workforce. Mr. Rincón highlighted the efficacy of Colombia's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system, significantly reducing training time from 18 months to a mere 5 months with RPL. Additionally, he addressed crucial aspects such as the verification process for employment certificates obtained abroad and the validation of international qualifications.

Mr. Tek Bahadur Malla emphasized Nepal's endeavors through the National Skills Testing Board (NSTB) and its collaboration with the private sector, focusing on the National Vocational Qualification Framework and pathways for progression within TVET programs.

The subsequent days of the program were dedicated to exchanging best practices and addressing challenges in implementing skills certification systems and vocational qualifications frameworks. Dr. Anoj Bhattarai from CTEVT, Nepal, elucidated on the transformation towards a fully permeable system, while Mrs. Gloria Robles, Coordinator of the National Qualifications Framework, shared Colombia's experiences with the National Qualification System (NQS) and National Qualification Framework (NQF).

On the final day, Mrs. Gloria Robles emphasized the pivotal role of sectoral catalogs in certification and pathway creation for technical education. Mr. Jose Luis Gutierrez, Bolivia's Vice Minister of Higher Education, underscored the importance of permeability in technical vocational education and expressed optimism for knowledge exchange among the participating countries to support youth in career development.

While Nepal and Colombia have existing qualification frameworks, Bolivia aims to develop its own, drawing inspiration from international practices with a keen focus on industry needs. With governmental support, Bolivia endeavors to create a permeable system to facilitate smoother transitions and opportunities for its workforce.

The program served as a catalyst for fruitful exchanges, fostering collaboration and innovation to enhance vocational education and labor competences certification across borders.