Project to impart quality training in graphics design, electrical installation, and maintenance
Dhaka, Bangladesh, 5 December 2019: BRAC in partnership with IT giant Microsoft has launched a pilot project to impart quality training in graphics design, electrical installation, and maintenance. The project began its operations through an informal event at the BRAC Institute of Skills Development in Dhaka city.
BRAC Skills Development Programme will implement the pilot project with support from the India Microsoft Community Training team, the officials said. Youths between 16 and 30 years will be able to enrol for the training. This training will particularly benefit students, IT instructors, administrators, and managerial staff. The organizers further added that post completion of this pilot, more projects will be undertaken after making necessary amendments from the learnings of the pilot.
Microsoft Community Training is an Azure powered online learning platform that enables organizations to run community training programmes. The platform supports personalized learning for a large-scale mobile-based community. It is affordable, easy to manage, provides robust security, and privacy protection. Its present customer base spans across 14 countries.
“BRAC’s collaboration with Microsoft will enhance an easy-accessible platform for the young population of Bangladesh. This strong management system will catalyse the process of making skilled workers,” said BRAC Skill Development Programme’s director Aftab Uddin Ahmad.
“Microsoft Community Training leverages Microsoft’s core platform assets and components, such as Azure Media Services, to assist content providers and training partners deliver high-definition video and training as a service on Azure. This partnership with BRAC is a great development towards reducing unemployment by skilling the youth of today through relevant trainings and making them employable,” said Anil Bhansali, Corporate Vice President, Cloud & AI Platform, Microsoft.
A third of Bangladesh’s population is 10-24 years old and 2.2 million young people are entering the workforce every year. Business leaders often complain that skilled workers are scarce, while approximately 10 million young people are currently unemployed or underemployed. To help the nation tackle this big challenge, BRAC began its Skills Development Program several years ago to produce manpower with quality employable skills. It established the BRAC Skills Development Institute that imparts skills training to youths in several trades. It also helps them find job placements post training.
This training programme will enhance the learning experience and on the job productivity through technology driven gamified course curriculum, digital course materials, and easy to access assessments.
Main image caption: (L-R) – Tasmiah Tabassum Rahman, Program Head, BRAC Skills Development Programme; Brig Gen Aftab Uddin Ahmad (Retired), Director, BRAC Skills Development Programme; Ahmed Tanvir Anam, Programme Head, BRAC Skills Development Program, and Shofi Md. Taneem, Senior Manager, Technology for Development (Moderator)
About BRAC
BRAC is a global leader in developing cost-effective, evidence-based programs, and has been ranked #1 NGO in the world for the last four years since 2016 by NGO Advisor. Founded in Bangladesh in 1972, BRAC acts as a catalyst, creating opportunities for people to transform their lives. BRAC uses an integrated model to change systems of inequity, through social development programs, humanitarian response, social enterprises, socially responsible investments and a university. BRAC currently operated in 11 countries across Asia and Africa with a vision for a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination where everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
