The JAAGO Foundation Trust held the inception meeting for its “Shopner Sharothi – Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP)” project at the Long Beach Hotel in Cox’s Bazar. Supported by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Generation Unlimited, UNICEF, the project aims to address gender-based violence, early marriage, and limited access to education in the region by training 1,700 adolescent girls and young women in technical and vocational skills. Additionally, 3,000 young women will gain soft skills through the “Passport 2 Earning” platform.
The conference featured notable speakers such as Mr. Tapan Kumar Ghosh, Principal of Cox’s Bazar Government Technical School and College, who emphasized inclusive participation, and Marianne Oehlers, Program Manager of UNICEF Bangladesh, who highlighted the project’s alignment with local industry demands. The GESP initiative seeks to empower NEET youth aged 15-24, aiming to break the cycle of poverty and inequality in Cox’s Bazar by providing job-ready skills and improving social and economic status for women.
Marianne Oehlers, Program Manager of UNICEF Bangladesh, introduced the GESP project, stating, “The project will provide skill training to adolescent girls and young women based on local industry demands. It will also offer job-ready skills training through the free, accessible online platform ‘Passport to Earning’ to young people.”
Despite government limitations and challenges, the GESP project aims to implement skill development activities for NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth aged 15-24, ensuring broad support for the project’s targets.