Well-trained, they now bargain for a better deal

Hundreds of underprivileged youths, who mostly lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh's north-eastern Sylhet region, are now being employed in various sectors after they received much-required skills training.

Nearly 88 per cent of the youths in the region have been reemployed in different trades, for instance, auto-mobile, welding, electrical, and tailoring, under a project conducted by the Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs (UCEP) with the support from the Standard Chartered Bangladesh (SCB).

Though the youth unemployment in the country increased significantly during the Covid time, UCEP and SCB are jointly helping the youths achieve the demand-driven skills to grab a sustainable and better job opportunity under the project.

Under the project, titled 'Reintegration of the jobless workforce due to Covid through re-skilling program', as many as 389 youths in the region have received training. Those who were affected by recent flash floods in the region are also among the trainees.

This correspondent has recently made a visit to the region and found that a total of 111 youths are now receiving training in Habiganj, while 111 more will join the programme on December 15 this year.

The youth unemployment rate currently stands at 10.6 per cent in Bangladesh, which is more than twice the overall national unemployment rate of 4.2 per cent, according to an ILO report.

Alyea Akter Nazu was engaged in sewing activities at a tailoring shop, but she lost her job along with others when the Covid-19 pandemic started. The 19-year-old is now working at Dunlop Foam Industries after receiving the technical training at UCEP.

Nazu is now receiving Tk 8,200 in salary - much higher than what she used to get in her previous job.

A group of men and women are now employed at Suntech Energy Limited, a battery manufacturer at the BSCIC Industrial Estate in Sylhet's Khadimnagar, after they received training under the UCEP-SCB project.

During the visit, this correspondent talked to some of the employees, including Joly Begum, Shahajul Islam, Jubed Ahmad, Jahangir Alam, Nargis Akter, and Md Sumon, in their twenties. They said their salaries have increased by up to Tk 4,000 after the skills training.

Talking to the FE, Muhammad Kayum Molla, regional manager (acting) of UCEP in Sylhet region, said a good portion of the youths in the region were fired from their jobs during the pandemic in 2020 and also following recent flash floods.

Then the SCB came forward to support those youths in the area, he said, adding that their main aim was to train those who were laid off.

As per the plan, the project was launched in 2020, he said.

"We chose Sylhet in the fourth phase of the project. We are now providing training to a total of 500 youths here. We have so far trained 389 people," said Mr Molla.

The development organisation is working relentlessly to train several hundred men and women in certain areas in line with the government's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

If the deprived and disadvantaged section of the youths is not able to acquire the demand-driven skills as per the sector's demand, they will fall behind in the workplace, he pointed out.

Entry into the workplace as a fresher also requires necessary skills, which most youths in the region lack, Molla argued.

Bitopi Das Chowdhury, country head of corporate affairs, brand and marketing at SCB, said the partnership with UCEP is part of their plan to assist the pandemic-impacted workforce by making them future-fit and helping them get reintegrated into the economy as gainfully employed individuals.

The floods across northern Bangladesh earlier this year had a devastating impact on communities that were already battling climate change and dealing with the long drawn-out aftershocks of the pandemic, she said.

The key to rebuilding these communities is to help them adapt to their new reality, she said, adding that bridging the skills gap and empowering members of the wider community to seize new opportunities are central to this process.

The SCB is happy to continue the partnership with UCEP in Sylhet, and to play a role in equipping people with the necessary skills and resources they need for a prosperous future, she added.

SCB partners with JAAGO Foundation

Meanwhile, JAAGO Foundation, in association with the SCB, is helping backward and underprivileged children to get better education in the region.

As part of the partnership, JAAGO is also providing quality education in the latest ICT-based digital schooling system to 320 underprivileged children in Habiganj.

The Foundation with support from the SCB set up a school located inside Surma Tea Estate at Teliapara in Habiganj district. The students from class one to six are receiving quality education through studying in the English version. The students are being taught in fully digitalised classrooms.

As a result, experienced teachers from the capital Dhaka are regularly joining the classes online and teach them in a well-equipped manner. Apart from this school, the bank has given financial support to nine other schools in the country.

By working with JAAGO on their digital classroom initiatives, Bitopi Das said her bank hopes to make quality education more accessible to children across Bangladesh.

Innovative digital solutions, a focus on active learning, flexible learning spaces, and the ability to use personal stationery make the learning experience more enjoyable, effective, and dynamic for students, she stated. "The Covid pandemic has taught us the need to be resilient and have alternative channels for continuing our operations," Bitopi said. Hence, her bank felt that the most important investment for JAAGO is to be ready with digital classroom setup at most locations.

"We want to help JAAGO ensure the education of the children is not hampered by any unforeseen events. Standard Chartered is proud to have been a partner of JAAGO over the last 10 years, in various initiatives; and we look forward to continuing this partnership," she added.

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