• Name: Ashok Pandey
• District: Chitwan
• Training Name: OJT in Professional Chef
• Training Start Date:
• Training Duration: 10 months (1696 hrs. on-the job training)
• Age: 33 years old

Ashok Pandey has seven years of experience working as a Barista in Dubai. He comes from a family of 10 members whose only the main source of livelihood was the produce from a small ancestral land. He was forced to leave the country in search of a better earning opportunity to support his family. Although he had an attractive salary abroad, most of his income was spent on personal needs including food and lodging. While working as a Barista, he saw that Chefs had better income than the other members of the restaurant. Since his savings were still nominal, he decided to get back to Nepal and train himself to be a Chef.

When he returned to Nepal, Ashok spent six months exploring job and accredited training opportunities. As they say, chance favors a mind that is prepared, he came across an announcement for a free training opportunity for Professional Chef. This was a nearly 10-month-long on-the-job training supported by the Enhanced Skills for Sustainable and Rewarding Employment (ENSSURE) project.  Encouraged by his aspirations to become a Chef, he applied for the training and got selected. He completed 6 months of institution-based training from Pathibhara Himalayan Polytechnic Institute and was enrolled in three months long on-the-job training at Kasara Resort Chitwan.

Ashok says that the training not only equipped him with practical skills in cooking but also offered him an opportunity to deal with different human personalities while exposing him to hotel management issues. When he finished his training, Jungle Island Resort, Bharatpur, Chitwan, offered him the job of Sous Chef (second in command in the kitchen) with a basic salary of NPR 20,000.

The resort management is positive about his performance and is planning to increase his salary soon. "Ashok's overall performance is very impressive. We offered him the job after seeing his excellent performance during the OJT. We are fully satisfied with his work," said Yubraj Neupane, the Manager of Jungle Island Resort.

Ashok says, "The training was a turning point in my life. It opened my journey in the hospitality sector. I am currently pleased with my position and receive a lot of compliments from my seniors." The salary he earns now is similar to what he used to save in Dubai but now he believes he has a better career prospect. He is optimistic about his growth and aims to be the Executive Chef in the next five years.