The Faculty of Education Dean's Office at Far Western University has launched a new undergraduate program, Bachelor's in Technical and Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTE), marking a major step forward in Nepal’s technical and vocational education landscape.
According to program coordinator Dr. Gambhir Bahadur Chand, the BTVTE program is designed to enhance the academic, pedagogical, and professional competencies of instructors working in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
“This is the first program of its kind in Nepal that formally targets TVET instructors at the university level. The program is flexible, with a maximum duration of four years, and allows learners to enter or exit based on their professional and personal needs,” he said.
The program is primarily intended for individuals who have completed a diploma in any technical or vocational field and are either currently teaching in TVET schools or aspire to become TVET instructors. It will be delivered through a dual-track system, offering both a Professional Track and an Experiential/Training Track, allowing participants to pursue either structured academic learning or convert their prior work experience into academic credits.
The Faculty of Education will offer the program in a blended mode, combining online learning, physical classes, and workplace mentoring. For participants opting for the physical mode, the university has arranged support for accommodation, food, and travel, ensuring wider access for instructors from different regions of the country.
Another distinctive feature of the program is that it is offered as a full scholarship for students. The program is being implemented with support from the Quality Project, Swisscontact, with a strong focus on strengthening the professional capacity of instructors affiliated with the CTEVT.
A major innovation introduced through the Faculty of Education’s BTVTE program is the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) concept. Under RPL, instructors’ professional experience and prior learning in the TVET sector can be formally assessed and converted into academic credits.
With its flexible structure, dual-track learning, labour-market orientation, and industry-linked approach, the Faculty of Education at Far Western University expects the BTVTE program to play a key role in improving the quality of technical and vocational teacher education in Nepal.
