SCB x UCEP: Reintegrating pandemic-hit people back into the economy
A joint venture between SCB and UCEP is working to re-employ people who have been severely affected by the pandemic and this year’s flash floods
Like millions of others, Joly Begum lost her job to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She used to earn Tk5,000 per month packing biscuits in a factory before the pandemic struck. And now, Joly takes home a salary of Tk6,000 each month working at a battery factory - an uptick in income after the pandemic wreaked havoc on the world economy, where millions lost their jobs and are still reeling from the effects
Now you may wonder what made this possible. A fortunate turn of events is responsible. The re-skilling and employment reintegration programme by Underprivileged Children's Educational Programmes (UCEP) Bangladesh, in collaboration with Standard Chartered, deserves the credit. It was launched in December of 2020.
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"We did our training here as well. We got hired because the sirs were happy with our performance," said Joly on 7 November, standing inside Suntech Energy Limited, the battery factory she works in.
When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit, it took away the jobs of 60% of the working population in the informal sector and they could not find jobs for 95 days, according to a study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
The same report also found that 40% of those who regained employment after the onset of the pandemic, experienced worse employment trends than in the pre-Covid 19 era (in terms of salary, retaining jobs, etc).
To combat this situation, UCEP trains people in tailoring and dressmaking, electrical installation and maintenance, welding and other technical skills. Additionally, they are also given soft skill training like negotiation so that they can better navigate the job market.
"Each trainee received four packets containing 20 kg of food in total. We gave them the food step by step to make the best use of it," said Mohammad Kayum Molla, Acting Regional Manager of UCEP in Sylhet.
Under this initiative, UCEP Bangladesh conducted a rapid needs assessment study to identify the skills gaps in both formal and informal sectors, and the new opportunities created in the post-Covid 19 era. Based on the findings of this study, they designed demand-driven training programmes to prepare participants with the skills to best meet the future demands of the job market.
The graduates then go through a job placement programme to complete their reintegration into the workforce. Participants have to be aged over 18 to be eligible as child labour is thoroughly discouraged. And the upper age limit is set at 35, because it is believed that in the Bangladeshi context, switching career paths is difficult after that.
"Our main focus is to reskill those who were left jobless by the Covid-19 pandemic and reintegrate them into the workforce. Another focus of this project is to reskill those who lost their jobs due to the recent floods, the most severe since 2004," said Kayum.
Apart from funding the programme, SCB also provided some directives to UCEP. The trainee pool consists of 50% women, 50% rural people and 2% people with disabilities.
In the first and second phases of the programme, UCEP helped 300 people get a job in the Rajshahi-Rangpur region and 500 in Khulna. In the third phase, 800 people from these regions were trained. On average, around 91% of beneficiaries of the first three phases have been already employed.
In the fourth phase, 500 people in total from Sylhet, Habiganj and Sunamganj areas are receiving training. "In order to choose the 278 [trainees in Sylhet] eventually, we went through 315 potential candidates. We have a prescribed need assessment format," said Kayum. "Just being willing is not enough, you have to meet our criteria," he added.
SCB and UCEP expanded the re-skilling and employment reintegration programme to include individuals whose livelihoods were heavily impacted by the devastating flood earlier this year.
Of the newly selected beneficiaries, 278 are individuals looking to recover from the pandemic, while the remaining 222 are individuals who have been displaced and impacted by this year's devastating floods.
So how exactly did the people get to know about the training programme? The programme has a community mobiliser team who talk with local government officials. Leaflet distribution, miking, banners as well as festoons were some of the techniques used to reach out to the potential candidates.
It wasn't a smooth journey though. There were hiccups on the way. A fresh set of lockdowns due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases delayed the launch of the programme, then the Sylhet region hit with floods proved to be another roadblock.
Out of the 278 people who completed the training in the Sylhet region, 115 have re-entered the workforce. By March 2023, the organisers hope to ensure everyone who received the re-skilling training will have jobs.
"83 of our participants have gotten the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Assessment through Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) on the National Technical & Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF) level, further enhancing their employability. We plan to make the number 100," said Kayum.
SCB has the goal of supporting sustainable and responsible growth, including delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as a part of its social responsibility. They are guided by their brand promise – Here for Good.
"If people are simply given aid during times of need, they may be forced to seek assistance again after the one-time fund is spent. We want to help a person stand on their own feet through sustainable projects, and become successful," said Bitopi Das Chowdhury, head of corporate affairs at Standard Chartered Bangladesh.
SCB is constantly on the lookout for projects that might help to make an impact. "SCB enters into partnerships for a finite time. We are now partnering up for a defined period of one, two or five years. We help design the programmes in such a manner that even if we are no longer involved with the project [because] they can sustain themselves," explained Bitopi.
The SCB- UCEP partnership does not end there, however. They have also teamed up to launch Basic Entrepreneurship Development Training as well.
"Everybody is not going to be a job holder. We need entrepreneurs too," said Kayum. "To train them, we brought in external professional facilitators, who are known for training successful entrepreneurs," he added.
The first batch of that programme has just graduated with the basic training of starting and developing a business. They are also taught how to take their businesses online.
"This is not technical training applicable to just one business. This is general training. All businesses have a few basic requirements like how to maintain your accounts and measure your profit or loss, you need some legal advice. You need to know where the seed money will come from; will I manage it myself or do I collect funds from others?
There is also an aspect of marketing your product digitally," explained Bitopi.
"I used to be a teacher at a local school but I lost my job during the pandemic. Then I got to know about this training. I have learned the ropes of how to start a business. Now I want to launch an online business after I finish my training, "said Md Mosleh Uddin, one of the participants in the entrepreneurship development programme.
Nabila Akhter Sathi, from the first batch of the programme, did not even have a basic understanding of business earlier. "I had no idea how to do a market survey, how to choose the right product, how to find out the number of my competitors etc. Now I have the belief that this training can lead me to a better future," concluded Sathi, who also said that the training helped her overcome fears and insecurities stemming from not knowing the basics.
