Project Brief

Project Title	Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) Project
Sponsoring Ministry	Technical and Madrasah Education Division (TMED), Ministry of Education (MoE)
Implementing Agency	Directorate of Technical Education (DTE)
Total Cost of the Project	Total BDT 429,999.55 lac                                             GOB- BDT 171,999.24 lac PA (IDA loan)- BDT 258,000.31 lac [1 USD=86 BDT (Source Bangladesh Bank)
Project Period	July 2021 to December 2026
Beneficiary Target	It is expected that on successful implementation ASSET Project will create around one million skilled labour force in priority sectors by 2030 to support economic transformation.
Priority Sectors	Youth and workers including women and the disadvantaged with skills demanded for the future of work and skilled employment prospects.
Agencies Involved with Allocated Budget	Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), Technical and Madrasah Education Division, Ministry of Education: 333407.50 lakh Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment: 36772.00 lakh Medical Education and Family Welfare Division (MEFWD) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: 31124.00 lakh   Ministry of Industries (MOI): 3200.00 lakh Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), Technical and Madrasah Education Division, Ministry of Education: 3186.00 lakh National Skills Development Authority (NSDA): 1600.00 lakh
Supported Diploma Programme Institutions (220)	151 Public Institutions 60 Polytechnics, other technical institutions 40 Technical School & Colleges (TSCs)  5 Institutes of Marine Technology (IMT) 15 Institutes of Health Technology (IHT) 11 Medical Assistant Training School (MATS) 20 Nursing College/ Institute (Diploma-level) 69 Private Institutions 40 Polytechnics 10 Institutes of Health Technology (IHT) 10 Medical Assistant Training School (MATS) 9 Nursing College/ Institute (Diploma-level)
Eligible Short Course Institutions (134)	94 Public Institutions 40 Technical Training Centres (TTCs) 50 Technical School and Colleges (TSCs) including NACTAR 4 Industry oriented training institutes (BITAC, SCITI, TICI, NPO) 40 Private Institutions
Components of ASSET	Transforming Formal Skills Development for Future of Work, Inclusiveness, and Resilience Innovative Skills Development Programs for Employment and Empowerment  Capacity Development, Project Management, Social Marketing and Monitoring & Evaluation Contingent Emergency Response.
Social Inclusion	Disadvantaged women and youth

 

Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) Project

 

The government has been 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 -

a.      Equipping youth with skills that fit the future of work and harness technology which matching with employer’s demand;

b.      Shifting/improving the skills eco-system to make it responsive, agile, and demand-driven; and 

c.      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

Type of Diploma Institutions	Relevant Ministries	No. of Institutions (Tentative)
		Public	Private	Total
Mono/Polytechnic Institutes	TMED, MoE	60	40	100
Technical School & Colleges (TSCs)	TMED, MoE	40	0	40
Institutes of Marine Technology (IMT)	MoEWOE	5	0	5
Institute of Health Technology (IHT)	MoHFW	15	10	25
Medical Assistant Training School (MATS)	MoHFW	11	10	21
Nursing College/Institute (Diploma-level)	MoHFW	20	9	29
Total		151	69	220

 

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

 

Type of Institutions	Relevant Ministries	No. of Institutions (Tentative)
		Public	Private	Total
Technical Training Centers (TTCs)	MoEWOE	40	0	40
Technical Schools and Colleges (TSCs), National Academy for Computer Training and Research (NACTAR)	TMED	50	40	90
Industry oriented training institutes (BITAC/ SCITI/ TICI/ NPO)	MoI	4	0	4
Total		94	40	134

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

COVID-19 Response Actions		Target
A. Rolling out online teaching
1	Provision of Digital Devices & High-Speed connectivity	Institutions/Students
2	Teacher Training for Online Teaching & Counseling	Institutions
3	Broadband Connectivity Grants	Institutions
4	Digital Lecture Contents Development	BTEB/DTE
B. Preventing COVID-19 drop-out
1	Back-to-school Communication Campaign	Students

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

Type of Training	Outcome and Content	Targeted Trainees	Length
Enterprise Management Training Programs	Outcome: Productivity enhancement, workplace improvement  Contents: management issues such as Occupational Safety, Compliance, Gender, Productivity Enhancement, Skills Development, etc.; Mode: classroom-based, in-country field visits; Payment: 2 tranches - training completion, feedback one month later	enterprise owners, managers, and workers	Minimum 3 days in total
Technical Skills Training Programs	Outcome: Employment; Contents: Technical, Soft skills, ICT Skills, Career Development Skills, Other Business Skills; Mode: Classroom-based, Apprenticeship, Industry-based, Dual Mode; Payment: 3 tranches - registration, completion, reporting 3 months later	Unemployed workers	Minimum 3 months in total
Apprenticeship and Dual Training for Informal and Micro workers	Outcome: Employment; Contents: Technical, Soft skills, ICT Skills, Career Development Skills, Other Business Skills; Mode: Apprenticeship, Industry-based, Dual Mode; Payment: 3 tranches - registration, completion, reporting 3 months later	Unemployed informal sector workers, MSME workers	Minimum 3 months in total
Skills Upgradation Training Programs	Outcome: Productivity Enhancement; Contents: Technical Training; Mode: Classroom-based, Industry/Factory-based; Payment: 2 tranches - completion, reporting 3 months later	Employee with Contract	Minimum 3 weeks in total
Mid-level Management Training Programs	Outcome: Productivity Enhancement. Contents: Management Skills; Mode: Classroom-based; Payment: 3 tranches - starting, completion, reporting 3 months later	Mid-level Managers, Supervisors;	Minimum 2 weeks in total
Intensive & Hi-Tech Technical Skills Training Programs	Outcome: Employment. Contents: Technical, Soft skills, ICT Skills, Career Development Skills, Other Business Skills; Mode: Classroom-based, Apprenticeship, Industry-based, Dual Mode. Payment: 3 tranches - registration, completion, reporting 3 months later	Unemployed workers	Minimum 6 months in total

This sub-component will enhance the supply of training by industry stakeholders through cost-sharing and expertise-sharing public and private partnership. Due to the market failure, industry stakeholders have been underinvesting in skills development which would have enabled the economy and population to benefit from industry 4.0 and technology modernization. Industry partners will be required to track the employment and career outcomes of trainees after their training programs to ascertain the effective utilization of trained skills and manpower.

Sub-component 2.2: Recognizing the skills of informal sector workers

 

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

 

Survey	No.	Objectives of the Survey	Year
Employer Satisfaction Survey	3	To capture the satisfaction level of employers with the technical, cognitive, and soft skills acquired by the TVET graduates from the project-supported diploma institutions.  A baseline will be established, and the percentage increase in the level of satisfaction of the employers will be tracked.	Year 1, Year 3, Year 5.
Graduate Tracer Studies	2	To evaluate the labor market outcomes of trainees benefitting from project-supported short-term training. The graduate tracer study of the STEP project serves as a baseline.	Year 3, Year 5.
Student Satisfaction Survey (Beneficiary feedback survey)	3	To determine the extent of improvement of the quality of teaching and learning environment, and relevance of trades/courses in project-supported institutes; what are the constraints and how the project functionality can be improved and sustainable.	Year 1, Year 3, Year 5
Labor market and skills analysis	2	To analyze the labor market situation in selected industries, post COVID-19 and in the informal sector.	Year 2 Year 4
Rapid Assessment on COVID-19 impact	1	Rapid survey to capture the impacts of COVID-19 on polytechnic students and TSC students to identify learning loss and retention.	Year 1

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

 

Contact

Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for

Economic Transformation (ASSET) Project

Directorate of technical Education

F-4/B, Agargaon, Administrative Area, Sher-E-Banglanagar, Dhaka-1207

www.asset-dte.gov.bd

pd@asset-dte.gov.bd; info@asset-dte.gov.bd

Phone:- +880241024953