The World Bank has launched a project to train up hundreds of poor and vulnerable women from five northern districts to facilitate their access to jobs in the readymade garment sector.
The project will offer training, transitional housing, counseling and facilitate formal employment in garment factories for around 10,800 women from Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, and Rangpur, says a press release of the bank yesterday.
It said the project titled the Northern Areas Reduction-of-Poverty Initiative (NARI) aims to economically empower poor and vulnerable women from the northwestern region by facilitating their access to jobs in the RMG sector.
The construction of dormitories and training centers (DTCs) in three sites in Dhaka, Karnaphuli, and Ishwardi Export Processing Zones (EPZ) are completed and ready for handover, the statement said.
It said the first batch of training for around 900 beneficiaries is expected to commence on January 2015. “The training centers will accommodate cohorts of 300 trainees; the trainings will be for three months period and technical curriculum would include training in cutting, sewing, and quality control.”
The Bank will provide stipend of $10 every month to trainees (for three training period) in addition to secure housing, food, training, job placement facilities.
“Once they find a job they may continue staying at the DTCs for three additional months but will pay subsidised amounts for food.
The dormitories attached to the training center will accommodate 600 women for a transitional period of six months at a time.”
The trainees will also receive life skill training covering topics such as adjustment to city life, savings and remittances, safety and security, rights and responsibilities at the work-place, finding appropriate housing and contract negotiation and health among others, according to the statement.
A World Bank team and the government jointly reviewed the NARI project and urged to expedite the implementation of the project, which faced an initial delay on start up.
The statement said if the current pace is continued, then it is possible to achieve the objectives with the extended project completion period.
Earlier, the Bank has approved concessional IDA financing of US$29.29m for this project. The project closing date has been extended to October 31, 2017.