Dhaka: The Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) project, implemented by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) under the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, has achieved notable progress in job-oriented skills development. A total of 225,336 individuals completed their training between February and August 2026 under the current government.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the trainees comprised 130,470 women and 94,866 men, with women representing nearly 57.90 percent of the total. The group also included 4,080 people from small ethnic communities and 779 persons with disabilities, as detailed in a press release issued by the Technical and Madrasah Education Division.
The training was organized under two components: Short Course and Enterprise-Based Training (EBT). The Short Course involved a 360-hour institution-based job-oriented training, conducted through government technical schools and colleges, government technical training centers, and various specialized institutions. A total of 21,702 individuals completed this training, with women making up about 38.87 percent of the participants.
The EBT component, executed through collaborations with industry partners such as Industry Skills Councils, industry associations, and chambers of commerce, saw 203,634 people trained. Of these, nearly 59.93 percent were women. The EBT included factory production settings and apprenticeships, providing trainees with exposure to modern technology, production systems, and trade-specific technical skills.
The National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) evaluated and certified both training streams. Officials noted the scale of this job-oriented training under the current government as a significant achievement for the country's technical and vocational education system. The initiative successfully integrated women, small ethnic communities, persons with disabilities, and individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds into the mainstream of skills training.
To maintain the project's achievements and meet revised targets, the government requested an 18-month extension of ASSET. The World Bank, a development partner, formally agreed on July 29, 2026, to extend the project's timeline to June 30, 2028, and restructure it.
During the extended period, the project will expand the scope of the Short Course and EBT components, aligning training with demand-driven and future job market-relevant trades. The emphasis will be on increasing the participation of women and disadvantaged groups, ensuring transparency in trainee selection, and strengthening digital data management and quality assurance.