Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus met two Japanese partners on Tuesday to review an ongoing training initiative that prepares young Bangladeshis for employment opportunities in Japan.
Tsuneaki Hirao and Duncan Power from Japan held the meeting with Yunus at the Yunus Centre. The discussion focused on a caregiving training programme launched in Bangladesh through collaboration between their company in Japan and Grameen Shikkha.
The programme provides both Japanese language instruction and professional caregiving training. A total of 104 trainees are currently enrolled, and organisers expect the number to increase gradually.
Graduates from the programme will receive job opportunities in Japan without bearing any training cost. The organisers expect the first group of trainees to leave for Japan in January 2027.
Hirao and Power previously established Japan Auto Mechanic Co Ltd in partnership with Grameen Shikkha. Through that initiative, 29 trainees have already travelled to Japan for employment. Two more participants will leave soon. The programme has produced 74 graduates so far, while another 24 trainees are currently undergoing training in two batches.
Caregiving services remain one of the most sought-after sectors in Japan due to growing demand for skilled workers.
The Yunus Centre said the initiative could open a significant pathway for young Bangladeshis to gain valuable skills, secure dignified work and achieve financial independence.
The centre also expressed hope that the project would create more opportunities for Bangladeshi youth to work and learn in Japan in the coming years.
Lamiya Morshed, executive director of the Yunus Centre, also attended the meeting.
