Korea, Unicef to support out-of-school adolescent girls in Bangladesh

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), on behalf of the Korean government, pledged contributions of $6 million in an agreement with the UNICEF Bangladesh to launch a four-year project to provide market driven occupational skills, transferable skills and job placements to out-of-school adolescent girls and young women.
 
The agreement was signed at the UNICEF office in Dhaka on 18 July by Youngah Doh, country director of the KOICA Bangladesh and Sheldon Yett, representative,  UNICEF Bangladesh, a press release said.
 
This partnership will support a variety of activities to improve skills and employment status of 12,500 out-of-school adolescent girls and young women between the age group of 15-24 years from the most marginalised populations in Barishal, Bhola, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Dhaka, Nararyanganj and Chattogram districts of Bangladesh.

The project plans to utilise solutions in this regard in the shortest possible time with smooth transition to decent work options.

Three modalities of training are under consideration: apprenticeship, mostly in informal economy and targeting the most vulnerable groups; Entrepreneurship training by using business incubation model; and Centre-based occupational training linking different training providers will ensure job placement after completion of the training.

Speaking at the project's grant arrangement ceremony, Doh said, "The target group of the project are 15–24-year-old out-of-school adolescent girls from the most marginalised group who deserve our proper attention. Let's deliver a message to these out-of-school girls that they are not left behind; they have equal rights to get access to skills training and deserve decent employment as well as a better future."

Doh also said she believes the project will strengthen the skills and employment support system to create an enabling environment for the out-of-school adolescent girls, which will accelerate the process of linking out-of-school adolescent girls with skills and employment.

Yett said, "UNICEF is delighted to be partnering with KOICA to empower adolescent girls and young women in Bangladesh. Ensuring alternative learning opportunities and career support for underprivileged girls and women are critical ingredients for social and economic equity. Through our partnership, KOICA and UNICEF will reach thousands of out-of-school girls and women with the skills they need to compete in today's job market."