BRAC signs MoU with retailers to expand youth apprenticeship programme

BRAC's Skills Development Programme has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 20 leading retail organisations to implement the Retail Sales Apprenticeship Project, aimed at expanding employment opportunities for disadvantaged urban youth across Bangladesh.

The MoU signing ceremony was held at BRAC Centre in Dhaka on 29 January.

Under the initiative, around 2,000 young people, particularly women from lower-income households, will be engaged from the Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, and Sylhet divisions. Participants will attend a two-day boot camp covering foundational retail skills, customer service, communication, and workplace ethics, followed by a month-long hands-on apprenticeship at partner retail outlets.

BRAC will subsequently support participants with job placement opportunities within the partner organisations.

The MoU was signed by Safi Rahman Khan, director of education, skills development, and migration programme at BRAC, along with senior representatives of the participating retail employers.

Partner organisations include Apex Footwear Limited, Top Ten Mart, Cats Eye Limited, Bissorong, Amana Big Bazar Ltd., and RISE, among others. Through these partnerships, the organisations have committed to expanding apprenticeship opportunities, strengthening job placement outcomes, and promoting decent and inclusive work practices across the retail sector.

Evidence indicates the effectiveness of BRAC's retail skills training model, particularly for young women entering the workforce. An impact study conducted in 2023 by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) and BRAC University found that trained participants were more confident and better prepared for retail employment than those who did not receive the training.

Participants reported stronger decision-making ability, clearer communication, and higher self-confidence, with the gains more pronounced among women. The study also recorded improved income outcomes, with female trainees earning an average of Tk1,829 more per month, more than double the increase observed among women in the comparison group.

By linking skills training with real workplace exposure and employer demand, the Retail Sales Apprenticeship Project aims to prepare industry-ready youth and create sustainable employment pathways in Bangladesh's expanding retail sector.