Our impact, Their voices

New skills lead to brighter future for Era

The ILO’s European Union-funded Skills 21 project works to increase productivity and better employment opportunities through an environmentally conscious, inclusive, demand-driven, and interlinked skills development system responding to the needs of the labour market.

Feature | Dhaka | 13 July 2021
Tayaba Khanam Era at her workplace Cloud IT Firm
From an early age, Tayaba Khanam Era now 23 years old, wanted to forge her own identity through education. However, growing up an only child in Khalishpur in the southern part of Bangladesh, fulfilling this wish was never going to be easy.

Her family managed to survive through the little income Era’s father made from his job at a local jute mill. Despite many challenges Era appeared well on the road to achieving her dreams when she passed her Secondary School Certificate in 2014 and was admitted to a Diploma course in Engineering.

But when the jute mill closed and Era's father lost his job the family faced a crisis. Study became an unaffordable luxury and Era had to drop out. Seeking security for both their daughter and the family, Era’s parents encouraged her to prepare for marriage, something she could not accept at all.

“I felt hopeless at that time,” said Era. “I thought that a far better course of action for me would be study and get a job to support my family. Nevertheless, my parents did not pay much attention to my thoughts, as they felt both the financial and societal pressures for my marriage,” she added.

Around this time, Era learned from one of her friends that Khulna Mahila Polytechnic Institute was offering skills courses with support from the ILO’s European Union-funded Skills 21 project.

If she could complete the course successfully, Era would receive a nationally recognised certificate. Even better, the institute's career and job placement cell, which had been established as part of the project, would arrange a job in or around the area where she lived.

When Era discussed the opportunity with her parents, they agreed. With course fees covered by the project and a scholarship also available, major financial obstacles to a brighter future had been removed.

Tayaba Khanam Era with her mother

After discussing options with the Polytechnic, Era chose a graphic design course, which was something she had always dreamed about. After completing the 360-hour Level 1 course at the institute, Era also completed 160 hours of industry-based training. During this time, she became proficient not only as a graphic designer but also in online business and other information technology-related fields.

"The guidance from the institute’s job placement cell allowed me to understand my skills. I found that there are many things to do better than sitting at home idle," Era said.

After succeeding in the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) assessment, Era got a job with the support of the Polytechnic’s Job and Career Guidance Cell with Cloud Firm, an online business organization in Khulna.

Currently earning a salary of some 10,000 taka per month (US$120), Era spends most of it to support her family but keeps some for herself. Era feels empowered by doing so and has become a confident woman. Her parents and neighbours value her opinions and she feels that her skills give her the confidence to achieve anything in life.

"I enjoy my work as well as trying to develop myself further," Era said. “I am working on upgrading my skills to Level 2, as well as dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur in the future. I hope that many others like me who have dropped out of school can also begin a new life by learning technical skills.”

The ILO’s European Union-funded Skills 21 project works to increase productivity and better employment opportunities through an environmentally conscious, inclusive, demand-driven, and interlinked skills development system responding to the needs of the labour market. In addition to Khulna Mohila Polytechnic Institute, the project also works with six other Technical and Vocational Training colleges around the country.