Thrust on developing financially sustainable skills training market

A recent conference focused on discussing the challenges and solutions in developing a financially sustainable skills training market.
The conference was organised by the SkillFUL Project Team, and was inaugurated by Manish Pandey, Regional Director, Swisscontact, South Asia Regional Office, said a statement.
Ms. Libuse Soukupova, First Secretary, Head of Section, European Union presented a special address, followed by a video docudrama of the Project, titled "Skills Transforms Lives". Mr. Devi Prasad Dahal, Project Manager, SkillFUL, conducted a presentation on the "Approaches and Results" of the project, whereby he discussed in detail the challenges faced, the lessons learned and the results achieved.
 An interactive round of questions and answers was then open for all participants, which was followed by a presentation by Mr. Nafis Muntasir, Project Officer, Market Development Team, SkillFUL.
A panel discussion moderated by Mr. Zunaed Rabbani, Executive Director, Market Development Forum - a group of market development-practitioner organizations working on strengthening of private sector development in Bangladesh also took place. The panellists were Mr. Devi Prasad Dahal, Project Manager, SkillFUL, Dr. Ahmedullah Mia, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Ms. Parveen Sultana Huda, Deputy Policy Advisor, Skills Employment Programme - Bangladesh and Ms. Farzana Kashfi, Senior Manager, BRAC Education Program.
The conference created an interactive platform for constructive lobbying and sharing of information and knowledge, between the relevant actors of the skills development sector of Bangladesh.
ABM Khorshed, CEO, National Skills Development Council; Eng. Md. Shahadat Hossain, Curriculum Specialist, Vocational, BTEB;  Babar Ali, Director, Planning and Development, DTE; K.M. Akhtaruzzaman, Chairperson, Akhtar Furniture Ltd. ; Mikhail Islam, Executive Director, Chittagong Skills Development Council, members from BRAC bank, Janata Bank and Grameen Bank, academia and civil society were also present.
Skills for Unemployed and Underemployed Labour (SkillFUL) is being headed by Swisscontact as the lead implementing agency from March 2011 to August 2014, in collaboration with Centre for Mass Education in Science (CMES). The project targets poor unemployed and underemployed men, women and Differently Abled People (DAP) aged 15 years and above from Dhaka, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Bogra, Sunamganj, and Jessore. The project is funded by The European Union (EU) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).