ADB commits loans and grants worth USD 1.1bn to Bhutan

ADB mentoring program boosts interest in STEM and TVET education among Bhutanese students

A mentoring program supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has significantly increased the interest of Bhutanese students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses, according to an impact evaluation conducted by the ADB.

The program was launched in response to the rising youth unemployment rate in Bhutan, which surged to 28.6% in 2021, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a pressing need for a skilled workforce to support economic diversification, many Bhutanese youth did not fully appreciate the value of STEM or TVET education. For example, female graduates aged 28 to 34 from the Technical Training Institute (TTI) and the Institute of Zorig Chusum (IZC) earned similar wages to those with bachelor’s degrees in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

To address this, ADB introduced a mentoring program that engaged senior students from TVET programs to guide grade 12 students, encouraging them to consider skills development courses. In 2021, ADB also worked with grade 10 students, urging them to pursue the science stream by connecting them with university students studying STEM disciplines. The mentoring initiative was designed with a randomized controlled trial to assess its effectiveness.

The results were promising. Among grade 12 students, those who participated in the mentoring program were more likely to prioritize public training institutes, such as TTI and IZC, among their top educational choices. Similarly, mentored grade 10 students were more than 16 percentage points more likely to select science as their primary educational preference compared to their non-mentored peers.

The evaluation also revealed that mentored students were more likely to believe that science could improve the world. Furthermore, the support proved to be more effective when male mentors mentored male students, demonstrating a stronger connection between gender-matched mentorship.

However, while the program improved students’ preferences for STEM and TVET education; it did not significantly influence their final decisions to apply for science courses or public training institutes. The report suggests that the preparation time was insufficient to achieve notable improvements in performance on the high-stakes Bhutan Certificate of Secondary Education Examination, which could have influenced enrollment decisions. Increasing the frequency of mentor meetings might enhance the program’s impact in the future.

Sonomi Tanaka, ADB’s Country Director for Bhutan, emphasized that while the mentoring program showed positive changes in students’ preferences, Bhutan’s youth still require better understanding of the value of vocational and technical education to address the country’s workforce needs.

Sangay Dorji, the Officiating Director of the Department of Workforce Planning and Skills Development, Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), highlighted that both baseline and endline surveys were conducted to evaluate the program’s impact, with positive results for mentored students.

Although the mentoring initiative did not immediately translate into higher applications or enrollments, the ADB sees it as an important first step in developing pathways for emerging skills and employment opportunities. The bank plans to continue supporting evidence-based programs to further enhance youth engagement in STEM and TVET education, fostering a skilled workforce for Bhutan’s future economic growth.

Tashi Namgyal from Thimphu