In order to enhance job prospects for underprivileged urban youth throughout Bangladesh, BRAC’s Skills Development Program has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 20 top retail organizations to carry out the Retail Sales Apprenticeship Project. On Thursday, January 29, the MoU signing event was held at the BRAC Center in Dhaka.
Through the initiative, around 2,000 young people, particularly women from lower-income households, will be engaged from Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, and Sylhet divisions. Participants will attend a two-day boot camp covering foundational retail skills, customer service, communication, and workplace ethics, followed by a month-long, hands-on apprenticeship at partner retail outlets. BRAC will subsequently support participants with job placement opportunities within the partner organisations.
Senior leadership representatives from the participating retail companies and Safi Rahman Khan, Director of Education, Skills Development, and Migration Program at BRAC, signed the Memorandum of Understanding. Apex Footwear Limited, Top Ten Mart, Cats Eye Limited, Bissorong, Amana Big Bazar Ltd., and RISE are a few of the partner companies. The organizations have pledged to increase apprenticeship possibilities, improve job placement results, and advance fair and inclusive work practices in the retail industry through these collaborations.
Evidence highlights the effectiveness of BRAC’s retail skills training model, particularly for young women entering the workforce. An impact study conducted by BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) and BRAC University in 2023 found that trained participants were more confident and better prepared for retail employment than those who did not receive the training. Participants reported stronger decision-making ability, clearer communication, and greater self-confidence, with the gains being more pronounced among women. The study also recorded improved income outcomes, with female trainees earning an average of BDT 1,829 more per month, which is more than double the increase observed among women in the comparison group.
By linking skills training with real workplace exposure and employer demand, the Retail Sales Apprenticeship Project seeks to prepare industry-ready youth and create sustainable employment pathways in Bangladesh’s growing retail sector.
