About 3 years ago I was asked to go to Bhutan to work as a welding teacher by the University of Jönköping. The question came from the association’s chairman Alf Persson through the university.
Due to Corona it was quiet for maybe 2 years but then suddenly I heard from Bhutan in January 2022. They asked if I was still interested, to which I replied that I was. In May 2022 I flew to Paro via New Delhi.
After the quarantine, I was taken to the Ministry of Labor where I would have a workplace to begin with. It was a bit difficult because I had nothing concrete to put my hands on. But after a number of weeks, I was taken to Khurutang where there was a technical training institute.
I got there and was introduced to my future colleagues. My counterpart told me that I had 5 days to decide if I wanted to train the students or the instructors. In my eyes then a strange question. But it wasn’t that weird.
There were two types of instructors, one was a bit older with some experience of the profession but not very high knowledge and a group of younger (23-28 years maybe) who had been selected to train after testing. They trained other students who participated in the Build Bhutan concept. It is a concept where younger unemployed people from the tourism industry can try out industrial work. These instructors knew very little about the profession. But they had one thing and that was a huge enthusiasm to learn and a fighting spirit that was a little unusual.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that it was the instructors I should be training. We started with individual conversations with each one and then we made a plan what we were going to do. The plans were big, but the planning fell apart quickly because it was difficult to find time to set aside for training. Finally, it was decided that we would have 4 weeks available for training, then we set the goal that everyone would get to try 3 welding methods. At the end we would take a welding test which I would supervise and they would get a certificate in this according to ISO 6909.
All said and done, we started. The enthusiasm was great and they participated as best they could; some had both to train students and participate in my training. They were very happy that I was with them in the workshop because previously they had had teachers there who did not leave the office. We struggled and on the last day we did a welding test according to all the rules of the art. Everyone managed and was very satisfied. The international certificates were sent from Sweden and they are written in Swedish and English.
The certification was received with joy and pride. After this I went back to Thimphu, and then on to the power training institute at Dekiling in Geylegphug on the Indian border.
The premises were not in as good condition as in Khurutang but they were serviceable. The heat was oppressive. A lot of material was missing, but we did the best we could. They worked like lightning and after a week on Saturday they took welding tests as well. Very good!
My time in Bhutan was 5 months. At the request of the Ministry, I have agreed to return soon as I feel there is a need to tighten up the training. It is planned that Bhutan will build 5 more hydropower plants and this only with domestic labor. For this they need much better trained welders. I have found a colleague who will come along and take over this summer.
Lars Olsson
From left Tsering Choden, administration Khuruthang, Lars Olsson, Yebi Dema, instructor mechanical engineering
