WB to Provide $300m to Help 9 Lac Bangladeshi Rural Youth

A $300 million funding deal was struck today by the Bangladeshi government and the World Bank to provide 900,000 economically disenfranchised rural adolescents with the skills and alternative education they need for employment and entrepreneurship.

Approximately 60% of the total would be female.

In this regard, a loan agreement was signed today on behalf of the government and the World Bank by Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Sharifa Khan and Abdoulaye Seck, Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The concessional credit is from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) and has a 30-year term, including a five-year grace period.

The Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) Project will help overcome barriers that prevent disadvantaged and vulnerable youth from gaining education and employment.

It will provide skills training, alternative education, employment, and entrepreneurial support to the rural youths who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), said a press release.

The project will establish vocational training centers to offer a range of skills development opportunities and provide online and offline training courses in market-driven and futuristic trades. They will be in locations convenient to rural youth, especially female.

It will also offer competitive financing and mentorship support for entrepreneurial activities. It will help secondary school dropouts, particularly female students to complete vocational secondary education.

"The government placed high priority on economically engaging the youth, particularly female and disadvantaged ones, who are not in education or employment through skill development," said ERD Secretary Sharifa Khan.

"This project is aligned with the Eighth Five-Year Plan 2021-2025 and thus will support the country's graduation from LDC status in 2026 and the vision 2041. It will support the government plans and policies by establishing a comprehensive support mechanism for economic engagement of the rural NEET youth, including the persons with disabilities, and segment of the population with special needs, which is essential." she added.

"The youth are the future of any country. Creating a well-equipped competitive workforce, where no young person is excluded, is a critical development priority for Bangladesh," said World Bank Country Director Abdoulaye Seck.

"The project will help develop a competitive workforce through skill development, continuity of education, and employment opportunities while addressing underlying cultural and social norms that drive exclusion, particularly for women, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities," he added.

In Bangladesh, about 27 percent of youth that is about 12.6 million people are classified as NEET. About 90 percent of them are female, mostly living in rural areas.

To enhance their employability, the project will offer skills development training for a wide range of market-relevant trades with an emphasis on modern and non-traditional trades, especially for women.

For secondary school dropped-out youth and adolescents, the project will provide access to Bangladesh Open University education programs through an accelerated curriculum.

They will be able to access diploma-level technical education in fields such as nursing, medical technology, agricultural food processing and other courses. To support entrepreneurship, the project will provide seed financing, mentorship, and other relevant supports to the new entrepreneurs.

To create a supportive environment for youth to participate in skill development activities, the project will launch communications and awareness-raising campaigns and involve the communities in planning and monitoring the project activities.

Additionally, it will offer incentives in the form of stipends, test costs, and textbooks to encourage young people, particularly women. Additionally, it will encourage young people's mental well-being and promote cultural and sporting events.

With a $15.86 billion budget, Bangladesh now has the largest active IDA program. Since Bangladesh's independence, the World Bank has provided the nation with roughly $40 billion in grants, interest-free loans, and concessional credits. The World Bank was one of the earliest development partners to help Bangladesh.