World Bank to help train 10 lakh youths for employment 

The government is going to create employment opportunities for 10 lakh youths through technical training with financial assistance from the World Bank. 

The Technical Education Board will arrange the training across the country. 

Women, students from polytechnic institutes, those who lost jobs amid Covid-19, and returnee migrants will be brought under the scheme titled "Accelerating and strengthening skills for economic transformation." 

The project cost will be Tk4,300 crore. Of the money, the World Bank will give Tk2,580 crore in loan with the rest coming from the government exchequer. 

Training will be market-oriented so that people can develop skills to become employed. 

Students, graduates and teachers of diploma courses targeting employment will be prioritized. Five lakh youths among them will be eligible for training, 20% of whom will be women. 

Trainees and trainers of short courses from public and private institutes will also be able to sign up for training under the WB-funded initiative. About 2 lakh among them will get the opportunity, of whom 30% will be women.  

Apart from students, 2.20 lakh workers from small and medium enterprises and mid-level managers from priority sectors will be trained, 40% of whom will be female. 

Also, 1.20 lakh informal workers and returnee migrants will gain skills through the training programme. About 30% seats will be reserved for women workers and returnee migrants. 

According to sources at the Planning Commission, the project will be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on 7 September for approval.