CARE Bangladesh and its partner organizations have launched a skills development training programme for 245,000 young women and men aged 18 to 35 under the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) Project.
Md. Aminul Haque, State Minister for Youth and Sports, inaugurated the programme at the Youth and Employers Meet, held on Wednesday at the Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) in Sobhanbagh, Dhaka.
The programme will provide technical, entrepreneurship and socio-emotional skills training to young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), with the aim of improving their access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The EARN Project is being implemented by the Department of Youth Development (DYD) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with support from the World Bank.
Speaking as the chief guest, Aminul Haque said creating employment opportunities is one of the government’s key priorities and stressed the importance of equipping young people with skills that match the needs of the labour market.
He also emphasized the need to create practical pathways for young people to enter employment and entrepreneurship, calling for stronger collaboration among the government, private sector, development partners and training providers.
Kazi Moklesur Rahman, EARN Project Director and Additional Secretary said that the ultimate goal of skills training must be employment and income generation.
He said the project is working to equip young people with relevant skills and make their transition from training to the world of work easier.
Ram Das, Country Director, CARE Bangladesh said, direct engagement with employers would help ensure that training remains responsive to market demand.
Earl R. Miller, Senior Strategic Advisor to CARE Bangladesh and former U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, said EARN is not just a training programme, it will build resilience by turning potential into viable livelihoods.
Rawnak Jahan, World Bank Implementation Specialist, emphasized the importance of expanding economic opportunities for young women and ensuring their meaningful participation in the workforce.
The event brought young people and employers together to discuss the gap between available skills and workplace requirements.
Employers shared the skills and qualifications they look for when recruiting, while young participants spoke about their experiences and challenges in finding jobs, entering the workforce and starting businesses.