A program to produce technical manpower related to electric vehicles (EV) is going to be launched for the first time in Nepal. 

The initiative has been taken forward in collaboration with the Bagmati Province Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (PCTVET) and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) as part of the Education System Implementation Lab (ILAB-2025) program, a joint initiative of Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) and ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and the private sector.

This process has been started with the aim of producing young manpower according to the market demand by completing the necessary infrastructure at Shankharapur Polytechnic School, Shankharapur. Ramesh Dulal, Coordinator of ILAB Bagmati Province Kathmandu, said that this is the first attempt in Nepal to formally conduct EV training, which was started in collaboration with the local government, provincial government and the private sector.

Coordinator Dulal says that the process to formalize this program has been taken forward due to the perseverance of the youth, the attraction seen in the youth of other municipalities, suggestions from the private sector and the joint partnership of the province, local level, private sector and technical schools. Initially, 25 youth from Gokarneshwor Municipality were given a short-term 390-hour training for EV training under iLab. The trainees participating in the training had been complaining that the training was only theoretical and there was not enough practical activities. Based on the same complaint, a survey was conducted in Gokarneshwor and Shankharapur municipalities to understand the mindset of more youth, and a large number of youth expressed interest in EV training in a short time.

Sarita Sharma, the education officer of the municipality and a member of the iLab Kathmandu group, said that more than 100 youth had filled the form in Gokarneshwor Municipality alone. It is said that the process of at least 18 months of pre-diploma program has been taken forward under the formal program. Dipesh Poudel, a member of the Sector Skills Committee under the National Vocational Qualification Framework, said that the process of developing a formal EV curriculum under the private sector is underway.

Although the import and sale of both personal and commercial EV vehicles are increasing in Nepal, there has been no systematic initiative to produce technical manpower, said Poudel, a member of the committee. 'There is a shortage of skilled technicians in the EV market, due to which even though employment opportunities in this sector are increasing, the youth have not been able to get adequate training,' he said. 'This program being started at Shankharapur Polytechnic School can be expected to fill this gap.'

The school has already prepared a cost estimate for setting up a lab at Shankharapur Polytechnic School, a constituent school of CTEVT. It is said that correspondence has been sent to Gokarneshwor Municipality of Kathmandu, Shankharapur Municipality and NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal (NADA) through PCTVET for cost sharing. Shanti Lama, Chief Executive Director of PCTVET and member of ILab Bagmati Province, Kathmandu, said that all parties have received information that they will send a commitment letter with a shared budget after the upcoming elections.

Deepak Kumar Risal, Mayor of Gokarneshwor Municipality and member of ILab Bagmati Province, Kathmandu, committed to allocating a budget for the establishment of an EV lab in the upcoming fiscal year 2083/084. The NADA secretariat under the private sector has stated through an email that the formal EV education held at Shankharapur Polytechnic School is relevant to the market demand and matches the priorities of the private sector.  NADA has also stated that cost sharing will be possible from EV entrepreneurs.