BRAC Skills Development Programme

Industry affiliation offers a lifeline to Bangladesh’s youth, bridging the skills gap and driving the nation’s economic progress forward The monsoon revolution has placed Bangladesh at a critical inflexion point, balancing between immense rewards and substantial risks. While giddy optimism grips the country, it’s crucial to reflect on the deep-rooted issues that brought our youth to a tipping point in the first place. Years of pent-up frustration have boiled over, driven by an economy that has failed to deliver enough jobs and an education system that inadequately prepares students for today’s workforce. Despite boasting impressive GDP growth of over 6% annually for the past decade , the country has struggled to create sufficient employment opportunities for its young population. Alarmingly, nearly 40% of youth are classified as NEET —neither in education, employment, nor training —a clear indicator of economic exclusion. Our education system, reliant on rote learning, fails to equip ...

Young people in Bangladesh find themselves at the forefront of navigating through immense challenges socially and economically in the current context. As the country finds political stability in the coming future under the interim Government, it is time to take stock of what youth really need from society. One-fourth of the country’s population is between the ages of 15-29. Based on the NEET population the country is 28.8% of the young population, which is roughly 13 million. According to the Labour Force Survey 2016-17 , 92% of work is in the informal sector, which is about 12 million young people. BRAC, as an organisation, has always stayed relevant to the needs of youth inclusive of the informal sector. As Bangladesh has gone through massive changes since independence, BRAC’s message remains steadfast with Youth Reboot .  After the student movement, we have spoken to hundreds of young people, and we do see a positive shift in them. Even the youth, who have been critically injur...