BRAC is empowering youth and women in Bangladesh through informal apprenticeship-based skills training funded by Global Affairs Canada. With the collaboration of ILO, the ISEC project is currently continuing apprenticeship-based training to 2384 adolescents and youths, including 1347 girls and women. Of them, 222 are persons with disabilities. These apprentices are trained by 1174 master crafts persons (MCPs)/Ustad, of whom 143 are women.
The training duration is 6 months. These learners are receiving apprenticeship training in 14 trades: Graphics design, IT support technician, welding, refrigeration and air conditioning, wood furniture designing and making, automotive and motorcycle service mechanics, mobile phone servicing, aluminum fabricators, etc.
Apprentices are paired and placed under the guidance of MCPs who already run their own businesses and have been trained on competency-based training techniques. MCPs follow competency-based logbooks (CSLB)/training manuals for particular trades to train the learners. Besides technical and soft skills training, learners are also equipped with basic literacy, numeracy, media skills, and digital literacy. After successfully completion of the training, the learners are placed in different workplaces as employees.
