DHAKA, Bangladesh (ILO News)- 19-year-old Rubaya is studying Bachelor’s degree at Khulna BL College, and like many fellow students, is constantly worried about finding a good job when she graduates.

Rubaya received a circular from Khulna Mahila Polytechnic Institute (KMPI) seeking applications for a short-course (four months) on graphic design.
After discussing it with her parents, she enrolled on the course in November 2019. After finishing the course in February 2020, she managed to get a one-month industrial attachment. This was at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic yet her Jobs Placement and Careers Guidance Cell at KMPI were determined to find her a placement.

She is now working her probationary period at Arc International, a graphic design and IT- company in Khulna. She works there as a graphic designer and can also work from home.

Rubaya loves graphic design and during the last few months, has designed many awareness and safety materials on COVID-19. She is now thinking about setting-up her own online-based business, where she can offer jobs to other girls who have computer, IT and graphics skills and want to work from home.
Once her probation and training is over (two more months), Arc International will pay her BDT10,000 (US$120) a month.

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 Rubaya 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