Tk 300cr project on the cards to train freelancers

Two projects worth Tk 829 crore, including a project to create employment for the country's freelancers, are going to be placed at the first meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) under the new government.

The project for freelancers will cost Tk 300 crore and will be implemented by the Directorate of Youth Development. It will aim to upskill freelancers by providing training in 48 districts.

The project will be placed at an Ecnec meeting for approval today.

According to the project proposal, educated youths, including males and females, will be provided with training on computer applications, freelancing, basic English and digital marketing.

The objective of the project is to make them eligible to earn foreign currency through freelancing.

Over the next three years, it aims to provide 28,800 people with such training sessions.

According to a global study by the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), a multidisciplinary research and teaching department of the University of Oxford, Bangladesh is the second-largest supplier of online labour in the world.

The study, conducted in 2017, placed India in top position and the United States in third.

India accounts for 24 percent of total global online workers, followed by Bangladesh at 16 percent and the United States at 12 percent.

Bangladesh's business process outsourcing industry is growing steadily, creating jobs and bringing in foreign currencies, but growth has failed to live up to expectations due to a lack of human resources and language skills among graduates.

This makes it tough to find a graduate with basic communication skills and the ability to speak clearly, understand the needs of customers and write properly.

Bangladesh Association of Contact Center and Outsourcing (BACCO) President Wahid Sharif said there is a shortage of skilled freelancers in the country at present.

However, it is possible to turn educated or semi-skilled persons into skilled freelancers by providing proper training, he added.

As there is a big market for outsourcing globally, there is a need to revamp the education curriculum and upskill teachers' training to create skilled manpower and make the youth competent enough to be part of this sector, Sharif said.

There is a $600 billion market for outsourcing globally, including Europe and the United States, where Bangladesh can leave its footprint, he added.

Wahid also said India's stake of the global outsourcing market had already reached $150 billion while the Philippines' earnings amounted to about $26 billion annually.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has remained static at the $1 billion mark.

Another project worth Tk 529 crore, aimed at creating employment opportunities for the rural poor, will also be placed at today's Ecnec meeting.

Under the project, about 28,100 people will come under training facilities. After training, 1,550 of the trainees will be provided with various machineries as grants.

Besides, about 162,000 rural women will be provided with micro-credit for income-generating opportunities.

Also, small entrepreneurship loans will be provided under the project, which will be implemented by the Palli Daridro Bimochon Foundation.