To enhance the quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training or TVET through international collaboration, the Department of Workforce Planning and Skills Development, under the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, launched the Bhutan Summer Skills Programme in the capital today. The three-week programme brings together 11 participants from the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Thailand, and Vietnam. It aims to attract international students, provide TVET at a global standard and showcase Bhutanese traditions and culture.
The programme will offer a blend of hands-on technical skills training and cultural engagement, allowing participants to deepen their knowledge in specialised fields.
This year, three out of ten identified courses are being offered, which include Bhutanese traditional cuisine, painting, and embroidery.
“This aspires to attract international students. The second one is to provide technical and vocational education and training at an international level. The third one is to introduce Bhutanese traditions and culture to the international participants,” said Sangay Dorji, Officiating Director, Department of Workforce Planning and Skills Development, MoESD.
International participants shared their excitement about learning in Bhutan and said they hope to take the skills and knowledge gained back to their home countries.
“I was very intrigued to find out about Bhutanese cuisine. It sounds very interesting; it’s the sort of cuisine that I think I would like very much. And I found out about it through a friend of mine in Hanoi who is organising the group that came here. She showed me the programme and asked me if I knew anybody who would like to do it, and I said yes, me. I would like to do that and that’s how I found out about it,” said David Baines, Participant, United Kingdom.
“When I return to Canada, I work for a college that has had some connections with Bhutan over the past few years, I hope to share with my colleagues not only the practical aspects of painting that I’ve learned here, but also the cultural significance of why this art is important and how it contributes to Bhutanese identity and heritage,” said Kent Schroeder, Participant, Canada.
“I want to know about the technique of the embroidery and as you know in Vietnam we have embroidery cultures and I would like to know difference between the skill of the Bhutan and Vietnam and actually during the course I want to have a chance to exchange the cultural with the locals and student as well,” said Pham Thu Huong, Participant, Vietnam.
“I came to Bhutan to learn Bhutanese traditional painting. And my first impression of Bhutan is that it is really clean and beautiful. I feel like I am a character from a fantasy story,” said Do Ha Phuong Linh, Participant, Vietnam.
“I am so happy to be here. Infect my mom agreed to let me go to summer camp in Australia, but when I saw a picture of Bhutan, I decided to come to Bhutan. I came here to learn Bhutanese traditional Painting,” said Tran My Khanh Hien, Participant, Vietnam.
Starting this year, the department plans to make the Bhutan Summer Skills Programme an annual event, aiming to promote Bhutan as an eco-friendly, culturally rich, and globally connected education destination
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Sonam Pem
