DHAKA, Bangladesh (ILO News)- Sujan Marma is 18-years-old and lives in Kaptai, Rangamati. In 2019, he appeared for the higher secondary exam but failed to pass. He was devastated and could not afford to register himself for the examination again. That is when from a leaflet he found out about the training courses offered in Bangladesh Sweden Polytechnic Institute, supported by the ILO’s EU-funded Skills 21 project.

He applied and got a spot on the Electronic Installation and Maintenance course in November 2019. It was a four-month long competency-based training programme which he successfully completed in February 2020.

Sujan said: “Even during the pandemic, the careers guidance and jobs placement officer supported us with preparing applications to get jobs. I actually got two job offers in Narayanganj but could not join, due to the nationwide lockdown.”

Finally, Sujan secured a job with BSRM company, one of the largest steel companies in Bangladesh, as a technician’s helper on BDT9000 (US$110) per month.
The company is 120 kilometres away from Kaptai, Rangamati but he is thankful to the project for helping him turn his life around.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Skills 21 job placement officers have been in constant touch with many employers to secure placements for students who graduated in March 2020.

To date, like Sujan 21 graduates (welding, EIM and graphic design) have been hired by companies like BSRM, Uttara Motors, Arc Technologies and Steps 21.

The ILO’s Skills 21 project is supported by the European Union. Other than Sylhet, the project aims to support developing TVET institutes in Bagerhat, Feni, Jamalpur, Khulna, Rangamati and Gaibandha into model institutes.

For more information, contact 

Kishore Kumar Singh
Chief Technical Advisor
Skills 21- Empowering citizens for inclusive and sustainable growth project 
singhkk@ilo.org