Grameenphone has been committed to empowering Bangladesh as a connectivity partner to Digital Bangladesh journey. In line with this ambition, Grameenphone launched GP Explorer platform to upskill and equip youths of Bangladesh to take on the challenges and opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution as a part of the “National Youth Day” celebration on November 1, 2020.
“GP Explorer” a three-month-long online program designed to train the bright minds from selected universities by subject matter experts from GP and industry. Selected youths will get access to local and global knowledge partners, along with in-house training materials for three months as a part of the Cohort-1. GP Explorer platform will focus on digital, entrepreneurship, and communications skills capabilities. In Cohort-1, the program aims to upskill 300 students from various partner universities across the nation.
The conference took place virtually and was attended by Mustafa Jabbar, Minister, Posts, Telecommunications Division as a Chief Guest, along with Md. Akhtar Hossain, Secretary, Minister of Youth and Sports, Abul Kalam Azad, Former Principal Secretary and Principal Coordinator (SDGs), Yasir Azman, CEO, Grameenphone, Khairul Basher, Head of Communication, Grameenphone as a moderator and Farhana Islam, Head of Innovation presented the GP Explorer module.
On this occasion, Mustafa Jabbar, Minister, Posts & Telecommunication Division, added, “COVID-19 is bringing a massive digital change across the nation, which focuses on the skills gap of the youth and how certain education sector is falling behind. It has become important for us to enhance the next generation’s skills so that they will be able to adapt to new changes that the evolving world is bringing. Hence, we are delighted by Grameenphone’s initiative to bring a youth development platform – GP Explorer – to upskill the youth and prepare them for the future. The initiative will also help the youth to step into a new digital era of Bangladesh quickly.”
Md. Akhtar Hossain, Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, said, ‘To enhance the skills of youth and to create more employment opportunities for them, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is conducting numerous activities. We have organized various training sessions for the youth. Subsequently, young people are becoming skilled in human resources. Grameenphone proactive step forward for youth development which is very encouraging.’
Abul Kalam Azad, Former Principal Secretary and Principal Coordinator (SDGs) stated, ‘Productivity plays a pivotal role in the positive growth of Bangladesh. In this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), youth need to be skilled and trained to fulfil the job market’s requirements. The use of AI technology in various sectors is essential for the economic prosperity of our country.’
Yasir Azman, CEO, Grameenphone, said, “To take on the 4IR challenges and opportunities we must embrace new technology & skillsets; act on to minimize the gap between our existing skills and evolving skill needs to keep pace with the rapidly changing business and employment outlook. We believe GP Explorer a baby step towards a big ambition to upskill youths with the help of local and global expertise will keep Bangladeshi change agents relevant to local and international skill demands.”
Previously, by harnessing the internet’s power, Grameenphone has taken several initiatives regarding youth development and innovation. These initiatives have enabled numerous youth entrepreneurs to create innovative products and services for the nation. The organization has also been working towards the development of the digital eco-system in Bangladesh.
