In the Bangladesh industrial hubs, a Technical Vocational Training (TVT) program is helping turn adolescent school dropouts into skilled earners.

Participants take part in a tailoring course through GoodWeave’s Technical Vocational Training program in Bangladesh. Photo by GoodWeave International.

For vulnerable adolescents in Bangladesh, poverty can contribute to leaving school early and limit opportunities to pursue safe, decent work. The TVT program is helping address these challenges by providing adolescent school dropouts with three months of market-oriented skills training. The training is designed to equip participants with practical skills that can support their transition into decent employment. Recent interviews with trainees found that many are now earning an income and contributing to their families after completing the program.

The TVT program is part of the project, “Child Labour in Subcontracted Ready-Made Garment Supply Chains in Bangladesh: From Impact Assessment to Holistic Due Diligence.” Funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) through Women Win and GoodWeave International, the training is implemented with UCEP Bangladesh, a nonprofit organization that provides education, technical and vocational training, and employment support to disadvantaged children and youth.

A participant practices garment-making skills during a Technical Vocational Training course in Bangladesh. Photo by GoodWeave International.

The program supports more than 500 adolescents from communities linked to the  Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in major industrial areas, including Gazipur, Tongi, and Narayanganj. Training is offered in six trades: tailoring and dressmaking, refrigeration and air conditioning, electrical installation and maintenance, consumer electronics, sewing machine operation, and computer operation.

These courses equip adolescents with practical skills to earn an income and support their families, while building confidence in their ability to pursue decent work. For those who have not yet found employment, they leave the training with skills that improve their prospects. Beyond vocational skills, the program helps young people set goals and plan for their future.

Mashru Ahamed Shishir, who participated in the Consumer Electronics course, has a physical disability affecting one of his legs. After completing the training, he found part-time work at a local electronics shop. “This course gave me the skills and confidence I needed to work,” Shishir said. “I am now working part-time at a local electronics shop and earning a good income, which helps me and my family. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn these skills. My dream is to have my own electronics shop one day.”

Beyond individual training, the initiative aims to prevent child labor by expanding opportunities for vulnerable adolescents to develop market-relevant vocational skills, while strengthening community awareness of workers’ rights and child protection and addressing factors that can push children into work in the first place.