The government has taken a project to develop skilled manpower; under this project, female students interested to study at government and non-government polytechnic institutes will be given 100 per cent and male students 50 per cent scholarships.

Social-economic infrastructure division under the ministry of education has undertaken the project. It will be implemented by the technical education department. The project was undertaken for four reasons:

• increase quality and relevance of technical education aimed at poverty reduction,
• supporting national skills development council to strengthen vocations training quality,
• improve management of technical and vocational education and
• implementation of communication strategy and assess project management.

Planning ministry sources say that under this project, funds will be allotted to 57 polytechnic institutes.

The training institute will be given Tk 21, 500 per trainee for six months or 360 hours of skill development.

The total cost of the project is expected to be over Tk. 17.47 billion, of which, the government will provide nearly Tk 2 billion.

World Bank and Canadian government will give Tk 154 million.

Assistant professor of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, Shahidul Alam, says: “This sort of project will help create employment for students; also, the scholarships will help the students.”

Planning minister, M A Mannan, adds: “If the project is implemented then students of polytechnic institutes will be benefitted.