BGTTC ASSET Project

Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) Project

The government has bee

n emphasising to improve quality and diverse required skills. Adequate up-gradation to technological changes is essential as low efficiency leads to low labour productivity. The trend of job creation in the industry and service sector is changing rapidly with huge demand for reskilling. To accelerate and strengthen skills to generate employment for workforce and disadvantageous people Government of Bangladesh with the Support of the World Bank has been started the largest foreign aided project in technical education sector named “Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) Project”  for the Ministry of Education (TMED), Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (BMET), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (DGH) and Ministry of Industries. As a developing country intends to reach at the middle-income country by 2041 through maintaining consistent economy growth. This initiative will accelerate poverty reduction movement during the stage of 4th Industrial revolution. To this end, this project will strengthen institutional infrastructures and provides trainings to meet industry demand for required skills. ASSET Project will be implemented within stipulated time of 2021 to 2026 with a budget of BDT 429,999.55 Lakh.

Objectives of ASSET

The Project Development Objective is to equip Bangladeshi youth and workers, including women and the disadvantaged, with skills demanded for the future of work and improved employment prospects.

Specific Objectives

The project focuses on three cross-cutting change drivers, Fit-Lift-Shift, to build a more skilled labor force aligned with the future of work and inclusive of women and disadvantaged groups to accelerate economic recovery and modernization in priority sectors. The project will aim at –

1. Equipping youth with skills that fit the future of work and harness technology which matching with employer’s demand;
2. Shifting/improving the skills eco-system to make it responsive, agile, and demand-driven; and 
3. Lifting/enhancing the ratio of labor market outcomes for women and disadvantaged groups.

The project will also focus on priority industry sectors that contribute a lot to economic recovery, modernizing and diversifying the economy, and making exports more competitive. The project will also help its intended beneficiaries adapt to and reduce the effects of climate change.

Components of the Project

The project has the following four (4) components.

Component 1 – Transforming Formal Skills Development for Future of Work, Inclusiveness, and Resilience

Sub-component 1.1: Strengthening market-linkage and employability of diploma courses for priority sectors (119,150.00 Lakh Taka)

Sub-component 1.2:  Expanding Market-Demanded and Inclusive Formal Short-Courses for Priority Sectors (73,550.00 Lakh Taka)

Sub-component 1.3: Establishing an international standard model polytechnic institute (52,896.43 Lakh Taka)

Sub-component 1.4: COVID-19 response actions to build resilience in the TVET Sector (16,307.00 Lakh Taka)

Component 2 – Innovative Skills Development Programs for Employment and Empowerment

Sub-component 2.1: Expanding Enterprise-based Training for Competitiveness and Inclusiveness (81,880.00 Lakh Taka)

Sub-component 2.2: Recognizing the skills of informal sector workers (28,696.00 Lakh Taka)

Component 3 – Capacity Development, Project Management, Social Marketing and Monitoring & Evaluation

Sub-component 3.1: Enhancing the institutional capacity of central government agencies of the skills development system (16,375.60 Lakh Taka)

Sub-component 3.2: Project Management, Social Marketing, M&E (20,434.47 Lakh Taka)

Component 4: [CERC] – Contingent Emergency Response Component ( As required with prior approval taka)

A contingent emergency response component is included under the project to ensure that funds can be reallocated in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency. This would allow the Government to request the Bank to re-categorize and reallocate financing from other project components to cover emergency response and recovery costs.

Subcomponent-wise Activities

Sub-component 1.1: Strengthening graduate employability and inclusiveness of diploma courses for priority sectors

In this sub-component, long-term diploma-level training programs for priority sectors are aimed at increasing graduate employment and inclusiveness. The project will provide Institutional Development Grants (IDGs) to support the capacity development of 220 public and private diploma institutions as follows:

Table 1: Estimated Number of Supported Diploma-program Institutions under the ASSET

The IDGs can be used for enhancement of teaching and learning environment, refurbishment of classrooms, libraries, expanding industry linkages, enhancing soft and higher-order thinking skills, professional development for teachers and managers, enhancing employer feedbacks and graduate tracking, strengthening employment support services, etc. It can also be used for student financial support, refurbishment of student hostels, conducive training environment for female and disabled students, etc. This grant also can be used for digital content development, awareness raising, broadband connectivity, equipment for ensuring safe training environment, equipment for climate-sensitive “Green Practice”. Grant will also aim to strengthen the pedagogical skills of teachers to nurture soft skills and higher-order thinking skills that are essential for better employment and productivity in Industry 4.0 (IR4.0)

Sub-component 1.2: Expanding Market-Demanded and Inclusive Formal Short-Courses for Priority Sectors

The project aims to increase the supply of market-relevant technical skills for priority sectors and create equitable training opportunities for females, Specially Able People (SAP), and disadvantaged through formal short-courses. This activity will also prioritize identifying high demand trades and occupations considering pandemic impact. The quality of short course training (SCT) will be improved, market-linkage and outreach of SCT will be enhanced and equitable access will be provided to the selected BTEB/NSDA/ministry certified formal short-courses as of following table.

Table 2: Estimated Number of Eligible Short-course Institutions under the ASSET

This activity is expected to train around 200,000 individuals.

The sub-component will provide performance-based Per-Trainee Fees (PTFs) to support institution-level improvement activities. This PTF modality for formal short-course providers has been successfully operationalized under the STEP project. The PTFs will cover tuition, equipment modernization, curriculum upgrading, teacher training, training for soft skills and digital skills, job placement service, communication activities, industry partnership, digitization, language labs, safe training environment, etc. The rate of PTFs will be set higher for female, ethnic minorities, and PWD trainees to incentivize equitable intake.

Sub-component 1.3: Establishing an international standard model polytechnic institute

This sub-component will help set up a model diploma institution to improve the quality of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Bangladesh. The goal is for this model diploma institute to be a high-quality, fully industry-integrated, and all-inclusive institution on an international level. It will be based on the diploma and skills training system of a developed country. Institutions with good reputations around the world that are part of the TVET system of a developed country will help with technical and management issues so that the necessary training delivery capacity, management skills, and regulatory framework can be built. The building will have I architectural features that make lighting, appliances, and equipment more energy efficient, (ii) solar power, and (iii) access for all SAPs.

Sub-component 1.4: COVID-19 response actions to build resilience in the TVET Sector

This sub-component will support diploma-offering institutions and DTE/BTEB to enhance the resilience of TVET sector to ensure continuity of learning and prepare for re-opening. This sub-component will support:  4G connectivity, digital devices (Tablet) with connectivity for students unable to afford devices, contents development for rolling out online/blended classes of diploma courses as well as campaign to prevent pandemic-induced dropouts as follows:

Table 3: Areas of Support to Build Resilience in TVET in Bangladesh

N.B. During implementation of the ASSET project special attention will be given to avoid duality with other projects.

Component 2: Innovative Skills Development Programs for Employment and Empowerment

Through scaling up innovative approaches to skill development, this component aims to make Bangladesh’s skill development much more job-relevant and open to more people. Also, the interventions under this component will help businesses grow again by giving them access to skilled workers and by giving women and people from disadvantaged groups decent jobs.

Sub-component 2.1: Expanding Enterprise-based Training for Competitiveness and Inclusiveness

With the help of industry groups, this sub-component aims to make enterprise-based skills programs a lot bigger in priority sectors. Employers don’t offer enough skills training because of a market failure. The partnership will fix this problem and make industry-based training more open to everyone. The project will work with some industry groups in a Public and Private Partnership (PPP) deal. The project categorizes industry partners into two main types: (a) formal sector-based competitiveness-oriented partners and (b) informal sector-based inclusiveness-oriented partners. Informal industry partners would focus on training for vulnerable women and groups that are already struggling. There will be more training on how to stop climate change. The project will come up with criteria for finding jobs and set up a technical evaluation committee made up of experts in the field to make sure that the jobs proposed by partners are appropriate, especially considering the economic recovery after the pandemic. Under the project’s overall direction, industry partners will oversee designing and putting into action skills training programs that meet their needs. Industry partners will also be asked to work with the sector’s central accreditation agencies to come up with competency standards.

Supported industry partners will provide (a) technical training for the unemployed; (b) apprenticeship program for the disadvantaged groups; (c) upskilling technical training for existing employees; and (d) management training for mid-level managers and supervisors. Industry will maintain strong linkage with DTE (polytechnic institute and TSC). Skills upgradation for the teachers and students for the teachers and student and employment support to the TVET graduates.

The industry partners will report the employment status of graduates three months after the training. This sub-component is expected to train around 220,000 workers.

Table 3: Types of Skills Training Programs under Enterprise-based Training of the ASSET

ASSET project aims to improve the employment/self-employment outcomes of workers in the informal sector (RPL). Through Recognition of Prior Learning, RPL assessment and certification will be done first in Gazipur and Comilla. Over time, the project will increase the size of the RPL program and the number of people who can assess it across the country. The project will support (a) the expansion of RPL assessment centers, (b) certification of institutions as Registered Training Organizations (RTOs), (c) development of industry assessors and certified trainers, (d) direct costs of the assessments, and (e) awareness-raising for employers about RPL and NTVQF qualifications/ equivalent qualification.

Component 3: Capacity Development, Project Management, Social Marketing and Monitoring & Evaluation

Through strengthening the institutional capacity of key central agencies, this part will try to improve the skills development ecosystem in Bangladesh so that it can adapt to the changing needs of the economy and include more women and people from disadvantaged groups. This part will also help with project management and financial management for the implementation of project interventions, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities, and social marketing interventions, with a focus on women and disadvantaged groups, to improve the social image of TVET education and make sure that communication and mobilization activities work well.

Sub-component 3.1: Enhancing the institutional capacity of central government agencies of the skills development system

This sub-component will strengthen the institutional capacity of key central government agencies for skills development to enhance the knowledge generation, quality and market relevance, market efficiency and coordination, inclusiveness strategies, and resilience of skills development system.  DTE’s existing building have 8 storied. Under the proposed project it will have further 4 storied vertical extension. The participating agencies will prepare Institutional Development Plans to lay out their capacity development activities under the respective focus areas.

Industry Skills Councils (ISCs): The project will also support the capacity development and operation of the Industry Skills Councils (ISCs). Currently, 12 ISCs have been formally established under the private sector-led structure as a platform to bridge the gap between industry demands and skills development system. The project will support selected ISCs for (a) labor market research and forecasting, (b) competency standards development, (c) information system development, (d) industry assessor development, and (e) operational facilities/equipment and technical assistance. The project will enter into partnership agreements with participating ISCs.

Table 4: Focus areas of capacity development for central skills agencies

Sub-component 3.2: Project Management, Social Marketing, M&E

Project Management

Project Management Unit (PMU) will be established at DTE, with the deputation of staff from the partner implementing agencies. All participating agencies and NSDA will have the representation in PSC and PIC. Necessary directly hired staff and technical specialists will also be deployed.

Social marketing: This activity will aim to improve the social perspective and awareness of skills development, especially to women and disadvantaged groups. It will leverage multiple channels of communication, both digital and traditional ones, to reach the critical mass and hard-to-reach groups of the target population.

M&E: The project will undertake a continuous data collection from all the project implementing entities for the monitoring of implementation progress. Employer feedback surveys will be conducted to receive feedback from employers about the level and relevance of skills of graduates. Third-party verifications will be commissioned to verify the result achievements of industry partners.

Table 5: Surveys to be conducted under the ASSET project

Component 4: [CERC] – Contingent Emergency Response Component

This contingent emergency response component is included under the project to prepare for situations of urgent need of assistance.  In the event of an eligible crisis or emergency, if approved by the Bank, the project will contribute to providing an immediate and effective response to said crisis or emergency. This will allow for the rapid reallocation of project proceeds in the event of future natural or man-made disaster or crisis that has caused or is likely to imminently cause a major adverse economic and/or social impact during the life of the project. A zero-value component has been included to ensure funds can be deployed through the project, depending on the specific needs that may arise. In the event of such an emergency, this component would allow the Government to request the Bank to re-categorize and reallocate financing from other project components to cover emergency response and recovery

List of Project Officials

Source of ASSET project website: