UN launches skills training program for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — In a groundbreaking move, the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has launched the first-ever competency-based skills development framework for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
The initiative aims to equip refugees with skills that could enable them to access decent work if they are repatriated to Myanmar or resettled in any other country.
For years, more than 1.3 million Rohingya, described by the UN as the world’s most persecuted community, have been confined to camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char without access to formal education or vocational training linked to any national framework.
The competency-based training (CBT) program addresses this gap by providing demand-driven, modular training designed to meet industry standards. Unlike traditional learning, CBT focuses on practical, job-ready skills tailored to real-life labor market needs, giving refugees a pathway to self-reliance in protracted displacement.
The effort follows Bangladesh’s endorsement of the Government of Bangladesh–United Nations Framework on Skills Development for Rohingya refugees and host communities in August 2022 — a rare move to formally integrate refugees into structured training programs.
Funded by Canada through the ILO ISEC project, a 2022 assessment by UNHCR surveyed Rohingya youth aged 18 to 24, identifying gaps in education, employability, and vocational needs. Based on this, standardized training packages for ten priority occupations were developed, each with competency standards and accredited courses.
The courses currently offered are sewing machine operation, plumbing, concreting, small engine mechanics, building electricians, crop production, community health work, caregiving, solar PV installation and maintenance, and baking.
To date, over 5,500 Rohingya refugees have graduated from the training, enabling them to engage in small businesses like tailoring and food production, volunteer work within camps, and other forms of community service — steps toward economic self-sufficiency.
However, with repatriation efforts stalled due to Myanmar’s refusal to guarantee safe return, and an additional 60,000–70,000 new Rohingya arrivals fleeing recent violence in Rakhine State, the program underscores the urgent need for sustainable solutions to the crisis.
Human rights advocates argue that skills training is a critical step but emphasize that without international pressure on Myanmar to restore Rohingya citizenship and rights, these efforts remain a stopgap.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
