B-SkillFUL Signs Partnerships with Business Development Service Providers and Workplace Based Training Providers

B-SkillFUL Programme Phase II, recently signed partnerships with two Business Development Service Providers (LightCastle Partners and Truvalu.enterprises) and five Workplace Based Training Providers (Akhtar Furniture Academy, Rezia Management Consulting, SAIC Group, POPI and ESDO).  Under these partnerships the programme will support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and build resilience by strengthening their business processes and workforce capacity. The service providers will deliver customised and targeted skills training and business advisory services to 4,180 workers and 150 SMEs in the leather goods, furniture making and light engineering sectors.

The partnership will provide demand driven skills to workers to enhance employability and productivity. Besides, it will create opportunities for SMEs to connect to markets and financial products via innovative equity-linked instruments and traditional financing sources.   

B-SkillFUL is a four-year programme (September 2020 – August 2024) supported by Switzerland and implemented by Swisscontact in Bangladesh. The programme aims to improve productivity and competitiveness of SMEs and create better jobs by promoting Business Development Services to at least 800 SMEs and Workplace Based Training to at least 13,000 new and existing workers. The programme will also promote improved working conditions, gender equity, social inclusion, and more environmentally sustainable practices among participating SMEs.