The Department of Youth Development is set to provide servicing training to 38,400 educated youths to help enhance their earnings and also develop entrepreneurships.
To this effect, the Ministry of Youth has submitted a project proposal titled "Entrepreneur Development Project through Mobile Servicing Training for Job-seeking Youth," to the Planning Commission (PC), with an estimated cost of over Tk 5.06 billion, according to concerned officials.
"The project is likely to come under scrutiny by the Planning Commission before moving forward, as the per-trainee cost has been proposed to be Tk 1,31,790, which is too high for mobile servicing training," said a senior official.
The project, which is to be implemented up to June 2028, aims to enable youth to become self-reliant, and develop entrepreneurial skills will cover all 64 districts of Bangladesh including all upazilas and municipalities, reveals the proposal.
According to the proposal, each district will run eight training batches per year, with 25 trainees for a batch, and each training program is to last 300 hours or three months.
Trainees, aged between 18 and 35 years, must have a Higher Secondary Certificate, it added.
The trainees for the training programmes will be selected through online and offline campaigns, online registration, written exams, and oral interviews by a central committee, said a senior official at the Department of Youth Development.
He said each of the selected trainees would receive a daily meal allowance of Tk 300 and a stipend of Tk 200.
Upon completion, the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) will award certificates.
Trainees would also receive a one-time internship support of Tk 8,000 to help them become financially self-sufficient and pursue income-generating activities.
Private training institutions would be engaged to conduct the training, and a standardised curriculum be developed by the Technical Education Board in coordination with the Department of Youth Development, reveals the proposal.
Modern equipment will be provided to ensure high-quality training, according to the proposal.
Officials said Bangladesh currently has over 150 million mobile connections, with the number of smart-phone users growing rapidly.
In this backdrop, there has been a growing demand for technicians or trained people in servicing and repairing mobile phones.
However, a shortage of trained technicians limits access to quality services, creating risks of device damage and data insecurity, it was learnt.
By implementing a nationally standardised mobile servicing training program, Bangladesh can develop skilled personnel who are capable of providing international-standard repairs.
It will not only help reduce the repair costs, but also create employment opportunities in the country, develop entrepreneurship, and sustain digital services.
Women can also participate in the training programmes, contributing to inclusive economic growth, sources said.
Official documents reveal that training expenses under the project are estimated at Tk 4.91 billion, while total revenue expenditures, including salaries, allowances, and vehicle hire, amounts to Tk 4.98 billion.
Capital expenditure is minimal at Tk 30.21 million, with remaining funds reserved for contingencies, according to the proposal.
"The project may face pushback from the Planning Commission over its cost, financing, and the implementation capacity of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Department of Youth Development," a senior commission official said.
He further said the ministry is already handling projects with a combined financing requirement exceeding its capacity under the Medium-Term Budgetary Framework (MTBF).
The fiscal deficit is estimated to be Tk 2.32 billion in the current year, which is expected to be narrowed down to Tk 1.38 billion in 2026-27.
The official also noted that the per-participant cost of over Tk 0.13 million for mobile servicing training is 'unusually high' and should be reduced before placing it for approval.
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