SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME – BANGLADESH (SUDOKKHO)

Sudokkho has shown how private sector-led training can effectively support young people into work considering quality, relevance and cost effectiveness. 

Over the last six years, training delivered by the private sector in partnership with Sudokkho has helped over 71,000 young people into work at the cost of GBP 216.00 per head in the Ready Made Garment (RMG) and Construction Sectors. Sudokkho training model has been particularly successful at reaching the extreme poor, who represented 63 per cent of Sudokkho trainees. Sudokkho tested two models of training delivered by the private sector. The first was delivered by commercial training institutions, known as Private Training Providers (PTPs), and the second was delivered directly by employers in the workplace, known as Industry Based Training (IBT).  

PTPs envisaged business case for offering commercially viable training in a context of Bangladesh where there is availability of fully subsidized training from different donor projects in skills training market. Sudokkho implemented technical assistance package for strengthening institutional capacity of PTPs which led to improve quality and relevance of the training; operations and profitability of the PTPs, trust among PTPs (supply side), industries and potential trainees (demand side) and sustainability of the PTPs.  

Industry Based Training with the RMG sector proved to be particularly successful and has been implemented in 194 factories across Bangladesh, which have invested a total of GBP 6.9 million in training. Rather than directly subsidising in-house training, Sudokkho offered Technical Assistance to support RMG industries for establishing training model with the potential to expand without direct project support. Industry partners covered all direct costs of training. The IBT model was effective and efficient in-factory training system with better and faster training for skilling of unskilled SMOs, up-skilling of low performers and development of multi-skilled operators.  

According to Sakhawat Hossain Khan, Deputy General Manager at Far East Knitting and Dyeing Industries, employees trained by Sudokkho added productivity to their operations. “The biggest development we observed after we started working with Sudokkho workers was that we could quickly deliver trained workers within 15 days according to the demands of the production floor,” he notes. “It brought a drastic change to our way of working.”  

The programme was funded by the UK and Swiss governments, was managed by Palladium in consortium with the British Council and Swisscontact.

Results
Key achievements of Sudokkho at the end of the programme include: 
Context
Bangladesh stands at important crossroads of economic, human and social development. There is a strong focus on human resource development including skills training, which is an important part of the economic and social transformation.
Economic Sectors
The programme promoted quality skills training models within the Ready Made Garments (RMG) and Construction sectors that stimulated further investment in training by employers, private training providers and trainees.
Approach & Strategy
Strengthening private sector engagement in the TVET system
Training Approach
The Sudokkho training approach system is anchored in the programme’s Theory of Change, which places “stronger and sustainable training systems that are valued by the industry” in the center. Such training is either industry-based or outsourced to PTPs, (Private Training Provider) and graduates from such training would be offered a wage premium in higher valued jobs. 
Innovations
Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services.
Gender Inclusion
Sudokkho contributed to building capabilities and motivation among PTPs and industry for the benefits of investing in women and men from disadvantaged groups. 
Sustainability
Sudokkho did contribute to capacity building of its partner organisations to bring systemic change in the TVET system.
Lessons learned
Over the last six years, training delivered by the private sector in partnership with Sudokkho has helped over 71,000 young people into work at the cost of GBP 216.00 per head in the Ready Made Garment (RMG) and Construction Sectors.

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