This project, supported by the BRAC Skills Development Programme, addresses youth unemployment and underemployment in Bangladesh, focusing on closing the education-employment gap and empowering youth with market-driven skills and employment opportunities. While looking into climate vulnerability and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study aims to enable young people to find decent local jobs by providing focused outputs that include skills development, labour market knowledge, and support services.
Researchers: Munshi Sulaiman PhD; Rohini Kamal, PhD; Md. Mohsin Hossain; Md. Mahbub Ul Hasan
Partner: BRAC Skills Development Programme
Timeline: 2022–2024
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Tasmiah Tabassum Rahman; tasmiah.rahman@brac.net
Context
Bangladesh, a densely populated and riverine South Asian nation is adversely affected by extreme weather events such as tropical storm surges, intensified cyclones, and flash floods. Bangladesh is about to have 16.4 million new poor in both rural and urban areas (Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies 2020). Large numbers of climate-induced internal migrants, who find themselves engaged in informal work, lack diversified skills with a risk of losing jobs, relegating them to the status of the ‘new poor’ living in urban slums. The most impacted of this group are the youth. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, little cash incentives, and a lack of livelihood opportunities, these young people have faced great challenges in finding regular employment.
Objectives
The study targets youth, especially from climate vulnerable and COVID-19 affected households to provide them with market-driven skills and employment opportunities. It addresses the skills and employment gaps, especially for the youth from urban and peri-urban areas aggravated by such gaps. Additionally, the study aims to facilitate COVID-19 economic recovery and make them competitive for the labor market, thereby bridging the skills gap between education and employment.
This study is relevant to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (climate action), particularly taking immediate action to combat climate change and its associated impacts in urban areas and communities by making them more inclusive, safe, and sustainable.
Methodology
The impact evaluation for the programme will be conducted using a quasi-experimental method. Treatment sample lists were provided by the programmes and the comparison samples were selected from the adjacent locality based on the visible similarities to the treatment group households. Since the comparison sample was not selected randomly, there could be differences in characteristics between the treatment and comparison samples. To account for this non-random sample bias, propensity score matching (PSM) will be used to evaluate the impact of the programme intervention.
Findings and Recommendations
Forthcoming.
