By Tohura Khatun Lily from Rajshahi
An advocacy meeting on training opportunities and prospects for urban youth was held at the BARCIK office recently in Rajshahi, with 40 members of youth organizations and urban-poor communities participating.
The meeting was organised by BARCIK that aimed to improve young people’s access to information on technical training, skills development and employment opportunities. Many urban youth are interested in skills training but lack information about available courses, eligibility, application procedures and employment pathways.
Jannatul Ferdous from UCEP Bangladesh presented information on UCEP’s technical training programmes, course duration, training allowances, eligibility, application procedures and post-training employment opportunities. Participants also discussed how acquired skills could be used to pursue employment and income-generating opportunities.
Participants raised questions about different training options and received direct information relevant to their interests and needs. Md. Azim, former president of Choto Swapno organisation, said the meeting provided useful information about opportunities he had not previously known about and that he planned to enrol in UCEP training to develop his skills and improve his employment prospects.
Green Coalition member and Urban Poor Rights Implementation Committee member Nilufa Ismat Ara also attended and emphasized the need for more such initiatives for urban youth and low-income communities.
Speakers at the meeting said that many young people have the interest and ability to learn new skills but remain excluded from training and employment opportunities because of limited access to information. They stressed the importance of connecting youth with relevant training, skills development and employment support.