CIM to host inaugural skill festival 2025 in Koshi Province on May 24-25

KATHMANDU: Chamber of Industries Morang (CIM) announced today that it will host the first-ever Skill Festival 2025 in Koshi Province on May 24–25 at its Secretariat in Teenpaini, Biratnagar.

The event will be organised under the ENSSURE Project—a bilateral initiative between the Government of Nepal and the Swiss Government—designed to narrow the gap between industry requirements and the available workforce.

The two-day festival will serve as a high-impact platform to align job seekers' skills with modern industry expectations and to bolster ties among training providers, industrial establishments and government agencies, the CIM informed at a press conference today. With an agenda spanning a variety of disciplines, including Information Technology, Automobile and Hotel Management, the event aims to demonstrate the tangible benefits of technical education and apprenticeship programmes.

On May 24, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, the festival will feature inter-school skill competitions, live training sessions and career counselling events. On May 25, from 8:00 am to 11:30 am, the focus will shift to the final skill competition, culminating in an awards ceremony that will honour top performers with the title of "Koshi Province Skill Icon". This follows a preliminary phase held from May 5 to 13 during which internal contests among trainees from seven technical schools across the Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts resulted in the selection of 18 finalists.

In addition to the competitions, live training sessions in disciplines such as Early Childhood Development Facilitator (ECDF) and Electrical will be conducted, while over 1,000 students and young professionals are set to benefit from career counselling sessions with industry experts. These sessions are designed to provide direct engagement, career guidance and inspiration to those entering the workforce.

The initiative is bolstered by technical support from ENSSURE Helvetas and the coordination of the Ministry of Social Development of Koshi Province, with additional backing from organisations including the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training Koshi Province, Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation) Morang, Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) and NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal. This collaborative effort underscores the potential for private-sector-led initiatives to revitalise Nepal's technical and vocational education landscape.

In a call to media and industry stakeholders, CIM emphasised that Skill Festival 2025 not only seeks to showcase local talent and enhance school–industry collaboration but also aims to set a sustainable model for bridging the evolving demands of modern industry with locally developed skills.

As Nepal navigates the dynamic challenges of its job market, this festival represents a critical step towards fostering self-reliance, practical learning and industry-focused education—ensuring that the skilled human resources of tomorrow are being cultivated today.