Educo Bangladesh, in partnership with ChildFund Korea and co-implementer Eco-Social Development Organisation, on Sunday launched an employment project for employment of underprivileged youths through technical education and vocational training.
The project titled 鈥楲everaging Youth Employment in Bangladesh through Improving their Employability and Competitiveness to Fit with the 21st Century Job Market鈥�, in short LIFT, will incorporate selected 300 youths from 10 thanas of Dhaka city, namely Adabor, Mohammadpur, Darus Salam, Lalbag, Hazaribagh, Kamrangir Char, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kafrul and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and provide them with technical and vocational training, soft life skills and career guidance.
Educo child labour elimination manager Afzal Kabir Khan delivered a brief of the project during its launching ceremony held at a city hotel in Dhaka.
He said that many youths in the country faced unemployment due to a lack of relevant skills.
In addition to providing technical and vocational training, the project will also provide life skills training, such as, leadership, effective communication and decision making to boost up the youths鈥� knowledge for employment eagerness, said Afzal.
He also mentioned that job fairs would be organised under the project for building bridges between skilled youths and employers.
In his speech as chief guest, labour and employment ministry secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said that youths had the potential to bring changes in the society but it was unfortunate that many of the youths鈥� employment was uncertain in the country.
Addressing the lack of need-based education, Shafiquzzaman said that the existing education system was producing educated employments.
He also mentioned that sustainable development would not be achieved without taking on board the youths from unprivileged communities.
Educo Bangladesh country director Abdul Hamid said that the main objective of the project was to equip the youth with skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the competitive 21st century job market.
He expressed his belief that the project would open new opportunities for the youths and play a crucial role in reducing unemployment contributing to the country鈥檚 economic development.
Abu Raihan, a youth, said that he had to leave his school after Class VIII due to his family鈥檚 financial crisis.
鈥業 came to know about vocational training. I want to learn driving and want to become a supportive person to my family,鈥� said Raihan.
Besides, National Skills Development Authority member Mina Masud Uzzaman, Dhaka Technical Teachers Training Institute principal Sakawat Ali, among others, spoke at the launching ceremony.