Kusholi

Kusholi or Skills for Decent Employment. Kusholi, or ‘the skillful’, aims to equip individuals with the skill sets necessary for the competitive job market. In Bangladesh, there is a significant gap between the demand for skilled workers by the local industries and international job markets, and the supply ensured by education and training centers. Skills education can be a practical solution to this problem. With a concerted effort it will be possible to stand up against unemployment and underemployment, and make meaningful contributions to attain SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Jobs and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

In partnership with Access to Information (a2i) of the Government of Bangladesh and UNDP, Kusholi focuses on ensuring decent employment for the youth through scholarship and apprenticeship.

Skills Development through Scholarship: This provides income generating skills for the higher secondary poor students alongside of stipend. In Bangladesh, the high school dropout rate is more than 30 percent, with female dropout rate higher than male dropout rate. A market oriented short term vocational and technical training with soft and hard skills inbuilt in the program will help these students with employment alongside of their education. Examples of some the training include: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Electronics, Embroidery and Nokshi Kantha, Beautification, Motor Mechanic, Graphics Design and Multimedia, Tour Guide, Photography, Dessert Making, Mobile Servicing, Block Boutique, Screen Printing etc.

Skills Development through Apprenticeship: This leverages the “demographic dividend” by empowering youth through meaningful skills most demanded by the market. The apprenticeship program covering over 450+ formal industries of 6 months duration course. After completing 6 months of apprenticeship program, the trained apprentices will get a certificate of NTVQF (National Training and Vocational Qualifications Framework). With these certificates, apprentices are able to manage decent employment both in domestic and international job markets.