Staff Correspondent: The government has imparted training to 67 lakh youths on various income generation trades since 2009 to make them skilled and self-employed.

“Youth Development Department imparts training on a total of 83 trades across the country and 23 lakh trained youths out of 67 lakh have engaged themselves in self-employment,” Youth and Sports Secretary Mesbah Uddin told yesterday.

He said the youth and sports ministry has been imparting training to 3.50 lakh youths every year aimed to engaging them income generating activities across the country.

“The present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to make Bangladesh a developed once by 2041,” Mesbah said.

He said the youth department has 70 youth training centres across the country to impart training to youths on 83 trades. Apart from the designated training centres, district youth office and upazila youth office are also engaged to train youths to make them skilled and self-employed.

According to information, the youth department gave soft loan Taka 2,302.43 crore to 10,31,093 trained youths from its own fund as startup capital.

It said the government has also signed MoU with Karma Sangsthan Bank and NRBC Bank to develop youth as entrepreneurs and youths will get Tk 5-10 lakh loan as startup capital.

The government has also been imparting computer and ICT and other training to youths to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the aim to engage them in social work and create employment.

Computer and ICT training is being provided at Upazila/Union level through mobile vans under Tekab project.

Vehicle driving training is also being imparted to youths for fair employment. During the project period (2021-23), activities are going on with the aim for creating 40,000 drivers through this project. It is expected that all of them will get employed.

Besides, the government implemented the ‘National Services Programme’ since 2009-2010 fiscal year for creating employments for educated unemployed youths.

On the occasion of the birth centenary celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a special training action plan was adopted by the Youth Development Department. Accordingly, 18,320 youths were trained till February 2022. Further, 4711 persons were given training on 12 trades under a MoU with Padma Bridge Authority.

Youth loan programmes were making a significant contribution to creating employment opportunities and poverty alleviation. In addition to the regular loan programme, on the occasion of Mujib Barsha, Tk 10.7 crore were disbursed among 2,013 trained youths in the fiscal year 2020-2021.