B-SkillFUL aims to improve the well-being of poor and disadvantaged men and women by increasing their access to labour market and income, while safeguarding their fundamental rights at work.

Almost 2 million workers join the labour force every year in Bangladesh settling mostly in the informal sector given their lack of relevant skills. However, the informal sector workers and employers, where about 80% of the jobs are created, lacks adherence to legal and regulatory frameworks, and is largely unaware of decent work practices. As a result, workers in informal sector enterprises are subject to hazardous working conditions and exploitation. Although lack of awareness on such issues are marginally addressed in recent years after major accidents, particularly in the Ready Made Garment sector, the practice is limited mainly to the formal sectors.

Under such circumstances, the B-SkillFUL project aims to facilitate training and job placement of young men and women in both formal and informal enterprises where elements of decent work agenda is ensured.

The Project

B-SkillFUL aims to train 40,000 poor and disadvantaged men and women in demand driven skills and place at least 70% of them in gainful employment. This will ensure access to the labour market for the unemployed labourers and provide higher earning opportunities for the underemployed ones. The project also aims to improve their working conditions by informing enterprises on benefits of decent work environment. A special focus is given to women (55% of the total target), ethnic and religious minority groups and Differently Abled People. The project facilitates implementation of training programmes through local Training Service Providers (TSPs) in Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Bogura, Tangail, Gazipur and Jashore. The partner TSPs provide training in 18 occupations, broadly classified in sectors such as RMG, construction, electrical and electronics, furniture, automobile etc. The intervention areas of B-SkillFUL is as follows: 

1. Raise awareness among the beneficiaries about benefits and opportunities for skills training and other social issues
2. Facilitate delivery of demand-driven skills training for wage and self-employment
3. Facilitate certification of trained graduates from TSPs and Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) 
4. Foster linkages of trainees, graduates, TSPs with financial institutions
5. Support TSPs to link with enterprises to conduct workplace-based training and job placement
6. Assist in establishing a cell within the IS-ISC for raising awareness among informal sector enterprises on LRDW issues

Results

Project progress till February 2018:

• 14,842 people completed skills training
• 8,812 people have been employed
• 198 females enrolled in male oriented occupations
• 921 enterprises have been sensitised on Labour Rights and Decent Work (LRDW) issues
• 760,000 people reached through awareness raising campaigns
• 29 Training Service Providers (TSPs) are providing training and continue to do so in demand driven skills
• 2 Grassroots Organisations (GROs) are raising awareness whereby local people are aware about benefits of skills training
• 1 cell has been established within Informal Sector Industry Skills Council (IS-ISC) to promote LRDW issues among informal enterprises and mainstream it in the national curricula
• 257 graduates have been linked with financial institutions, as a result of which, they have acquired loan for business start-ups