Better Future for Women, a Bangladesh based organization, has entered into a partnership with Commonwealth of Learning to implement Coursera’s Workforce Recovery Initiative in Bangladesh that gives unemployed workers access to 90% of its catalog of courses and certificate programs for zero cost.
Ideally, it will help unemployed workers re-skill and re-enter the workforce, says a press release published by Better Future for Women on Tuesday.
“The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown measures have impacted millions of learners in Bangladesh, leaving them with little or no option to continue their education,” said Dr Basheerhamad Shadrach, an advisor at the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), the world’s only intergovernmental organization solely concerned with the promotion and development of distance education and open learning.
He added: “Many have lost their jobs and need re-skilling to regain employment. The Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative is as an immediate solution to the challenges faced by Bangladeshi people.”
Through the program, unemployed workers in Bangladesh will get free access to over 3,800 courses from universities such as Duke and Yale and from companies such as IBM and Google.
Students can access individual courses, Job Paths (collections of courses that prepare them for roles such as Business Analyst or Cloud Architect), and professional certificate programs that can all help demonstrate their aptitude to future employers.
Sumaiya Shimu, founder and chairman of the Better Future for Women and an actress in Bangladesh said: “We are happy to partner with COL to implement the Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative in Bangladesh to support people of Bangladesh who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19. Workforce Recovery Initiative may help facilitate a pathway into more stable careers in the future."
“By accessing courses on Coursera, unemployed citizens of Bangladesh will gain job-relevant skills for an immediate return to the workforce when the economy comes roaring back to life after the Covid-19 lockdown.”
Professor Asha Kanwar, COL President and CEO, stated: “COL is pleased to partner with Coursera to make a difference to the lives of thousands of people of the Commonwealth whose immediate need is to acquire skills for regaining employment.”
Participants of the program will have access to 3,800 courses in topics such as, business Analysis/Data Analytics, Business Skills, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Health Care, Software Development, Project Management, Business English, Entrepreneurship, Android App and iOS App Developer, Job Readiness.
The courses are accessible through smart phone and desktop/laptop computer. All trainings courses provided under this initiative is free of cost thanks to the financial assistance from the Commonwealth of Learning.
Application for the scholarship can be submitted via online at the following link: http://betterfuture4women.org.bd/. The application form can also be requested by sending an email to [email protected]
