ADB gives $1.34m to avoid dropout of skills trainees for lockdown

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided $1.3 million financial assistance on Wednesday to avoid trainees from dropping out of the ongoing training under Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP).

The SEIP is providing sector-focused and job-ready skills training through partnerships with public institutes, industry associations and other organisations, covering skills requirements in 10 industry sectors.

"Each of the 22,619 current trainees will get Tk 5,000 as one-time assistance," said ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Manmohan Parkash.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has caused adverse impacts on the trainees' livelihood and this assistance will help the trainees to continue their training as they are from poor households and chances of their dropping out are high due to the prolonged lockdown."

"We have requested the government to transfer the money timely to the trainees through their bank accounts," Parkash added.

The assistance is additional to the $350,000 emergency grant approved on March 27, and other ADB support package being put together in the health and financial sectors for tackling Covid-19 challenges in Bangladesh.