96,000 diploma students get stipends under STEP

Some 96,000 diploma students from 93 polytechnic institutes in the country have been given stipends under the Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) to ensure their better employment prospect both in local and overseas job markets, reports BSS.
"The STEP has also strengthened the polytechnic institutions (43 public and 50 private) to improve the quality of skills training and align curriculum with skills market demand," says an official concerned.
Started in 2010, the project, financed by the World Bank (WB), also promotes women's skills training and employability through technical and vocational education.
The stipend programme initiated a universal coverage scheme for all the female diploma students in 2012. The WB approved the US$ 79 million STEP project in June 2010 and Canada approved grants equivalent to US$ 20 million in March 2013.