STORIES

The changes being made to Bangladesh’s skills development system are impacting the way institutions work, the way employers recruit staff and the way course content is decided. Most importantly though, it is changing the lives of people. Here are some of those people.

  • My Story: Mosharrof Hossain: The Handyman Wihout Hands Mosharrof had finished his training and was two years into his career as a refrigeration mechanic when he lost both of his hands in an electrical accident. His friends and family convinced him that he would be unable to continue his trade because he was now disabled. His shop, Muniea Refrigeration, is now one of the most popular service shops in the Tongi district and the same people who criticised him in the start now refer customers to him.
  • My Story: Mohammad Younus: Give people like me a chance, we'll build Bangladesh Prior to the introduction of the National Skills Development Policy, entry into formal skills training required a Grade 8 education level. This meant that young people who could not afford to continue education had little option but low-paid, low-skilled informal jobs. Younus, previously an unskilled worker, has used the new pre-vocational levels to become a welder at Western Marine Shipyard and is looking forward to opening his own business.
  • My Story: Shuely Akter: I cannot use one of my legs, but try to find anything wrong with my work As Shuely Akter picks up her crutch and starts walking towards the lunchroom, she catches the eye of Khadija, who is also picking up her crutches and then gives Shanu a smile, a new employee who has already started with her crutch to the lunchroom. It is a moment that Shuely could never have possibly imagined. She is a confident young skilled worker completing her first year of employment as a sewing machine operator in a reputable apparel factory.
  • My Story: Amina Akhter: My husband and I come home at the same time now and it has really brought us closer The skills development sector in Bangladesh is characterized by gender inequalities and stereotyping. Conservative attitudes constrain women from entering into non-traditional and higher income professions by channelling them into different paths from childhood. Amina, however, has recently successfully completed her training at the new Centre of Excellence for Leather and has begun an apprenticeship at the Apex Adelchi factory nearby.
  • My Story: Nupur and Biplab Howlader, a married couple pursuing welding careers together While child marriage rates are slowly decreasing in Bangladesh, 66% of girls are still married before the age of 18. Marriage at an early age has many implications on a young woman’s life; one thing that it does not usually translate to though is gender equality. Nupur and Biplab married early, but are now learning skills to work together in Bangladesh’s fast growing welding sector.
  • My Story: Rabeya Akhter: This is the first time we have employed a female motorcycle mechanic "This is the first time we have employed a female motorcycle mechanic, and we have had a good outcome so far. She is a quick learner, and female workers seem to have better attention, better attendance (almost 90%) and have cooler brains. These are the words of Rabeya's new employer, at the workshop in Dhaka that she now fixes motorcycles in.