ProGRESS is a government initiative for inclusive skill development.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Bangladesh and the Ministry of Education of the Government of Bangladesh have started a new project called ProGRESS. This program aims to improve Bangladesh's enterprise development and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) systems.

 

The ProGRESS project also intends to increase the inclusion and accessibility of skill development training for women working at the policy, system, and operational levels. On March 19, the launching ceremony was held in the Ball Room of the Banani Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka.

ProGRESS stands for "Promoting Gender Responsive Enterprise Development and TVET Systems," according to an official press release. The Technical and Madrasah Education Division (TMED), the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), and the Ministry of Education will carry out the project with technical support from the ILO. The project's funding source is the Canadian government.

The ProGRESS project is intended to effectively address the problems associated with female workers' low labor force participation in both wage and employment markets. Additionally, it will raise concerns over the restricted access to business development services needed to begin self-employment.

Additionally, the initiative will aid in the promotion of Bangladeshi women's workforce employability in order to enhance their financial security and maximize their contribution to the country's economic growth. Through gender mainstreaming policy advocacy, enterprise development, and skills training, the project's strategic improvement in TVET and enterprise development systems aims to transform the local female workforce to become more inclusive and accessible. The project's goal is to increase the number of women in Bangladesh who are employed in respectable jobs across a wider range of professions.

The initiative has a 20 million CAD total budget (Canadian Dollars). The National Skill Development Authority under the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the SME Foundation, and the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corpora will collaborate with the ILO and the Directorate of Technical Education to implement the project over a five-year period beginning in 2022.