Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, HE Julia Niblett launched an Australian Aid project in partnership with the Underprivileged Children’s Educational Program (UCEP), ‘Quality Education and Skills Transformation’ (QuEST) on Sunday 28 April 2019. Australiais committed to supporting the Government of Bangladesh in increasing access to quality primary education for poor and disadvantaged out of school childrenin urban areas and implementing the market driven Technical Vocational Education and Training system underpinned by theGovernment of Bangladesh’s National Skills Development Policy.Through this partnership, DFAT aims to strengthen the work of UCEP to help fulfil Bangladesh’s development objectives.
Australia will invest AUD12 million over three years(March 2019 to June 2022).This investment will develop a new partnership with UCEP to expand the AustralianAid Program’s focus on addressing skills gaps. UCEP provides pathways through education into vocational skills training and job placement for poor urban children and adolescents, particularly those who have dropped out of or never enrolled in school.UCEP courses are recognised by the Government of Bangladesh and respond to the needs of the private sector.The project will also help UCEP to strengthen institutional capacity with a major focus on strengthening systems for disability and gender inclusion.
Australia wants to ensure that all people in Bangladesh are able to contribute to and benefit from Bangladesh’s economic growth. We are committed to ensuring that noone is left behind in Bangladesh’s development.