World Bank-financed Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) project has appointed four organisations to train 9 lakh young people, marking a significant milestone in one of Bangladesh’s largest youth employability initiatives.
The project targets individuals aged 15 to 35 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), with women accounting for 60 per cent of the beneficiaries.
Following recommendations from the proposal evaluation committee and a no-objection from World Bank, BRAC, Save the Children, CARE Bangladesh, and Dhaka Ahsania Mission were selected as the service providers.
Implemented by Department of Youth Development under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the project aims to equip young people with skills to enhance their employability and participation in economic activities, in line with the government’s employment agenda.
Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony on Thursday, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said the project’s success would depend on ensuring high-quality training and translating those skills into tangible employment opportunities for youth across the country.
Aminul called for more rigorous monitoring of training programmes and urged officials to explore internationally recognised certification alongside domestic certificates. Additionally, he proposed incorporating short sessions on ethics and social values into every training curriculum.
The agreements were signed at Ministry of Youth and Sports in the presence of ministry officials, representatives from Department of Youth Development, World Bank, and participating organisations.
