The BRAC Skills Development Programme launched the PRIDE pilot in December 2019 across four Bangladeshi districts, targeting unemployed youth aged 18–35 from low-income households through both classroom-based and apprenticeship-based retail sector training. An RCT evaluation by BIGD, surveying 675 treatment and 213 control participants, revealed significant improvements in soft skills — including an 80% rise in decision-making ability, 70% in communication, and 73% in self-confidence — with stronger gains among female participants. Female trainees saw a particularly notable average monthly income increase of BDT 1,829, which was 111% higher than the female control group, while career mobility improved across all participants, with job changes running 555% higher than the control group. Satisfaction levels were generally high, though concerns were raised about overtime, class scheduling, and training duration. The apprenticeship model proved more cost-effective and comparable in outcomes to classroom training, making it a strong candidate for scale-up, particularly for female participants. However, a low program completion rate of just 53% remains a key challenge, driven by factors such as distance to training centres and the specific needs of students and housewives, highlighting the need for better targeting strategies and program customization going forward.
Authors: Adiba, Afsana; Ahmed, Md. Shakil; Das, Narayan Chandra; Islam, Md. Karimul; Mozumder, Tanvir Ahmed; and Siddiquee, Muhammad Shahadat Hossain
Type: Report
Publisher: BIGD
Year: 2023
