Promoting Gender-Responsive Enterprise and Skills Development Systems (ProGRESS): Feminising Bangladesh’s Skills and Enterprise Systems and Labour Market’ is a new partnership between the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the ILO in Bangladesh for the next five years (2021-2026). The project aims to contribute to achieving gender parity in the labour force by 2041 by addressing the constraints affecting women’s participation in the labour force by working on the policies, systems, and operational level.
The project builds on over a decade of ILO’s support to the core policy and governance systems of Bangladesh’s TVET system, which played an instrumental role in establishing a market-oriented, competency-based skills system coordinated through a collaborative peak body. The current project is a continuation of the initiatives and focuses on promoting women’s access to labour markets in Bangladesh, including through gender-based budgeting for skills training and entrepreneurship development. The project uses gender equality as a central theme to driving for improvements in public policy, skills, and business service provision to empower Bangladeshi women. The project is aligned to GoB’s 8th Five-year plan and prosperity vision, where the country seeks to achieve gender parity in the labour force by 2041.
The project combines capacity building and policy support with practical demonstration to achieve sustainable change. It focuses on economically underdeveloped regions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and other lagging behind areas for piloting the innovations.
The incumbent shall perform the following duties and responsibilities according to the quality standards and values system of the ILO:
Conduct policy analysis and research to assess current practices, progress, achievements and gaps on gender equality targets in the skills training practices of the TVET institutes under TMED and institutes affiliated to other relevant ministries including MOWCA, MOCHTA, MOEWOE etc.;
Coordinate with TMED and other ministries to form and manage gender and skills taskforce, working groups, coordination committees etc. to review the implementation of policies and strategies relating to the Gender Equality in TVET for the promotion of Gender Equality and gender-based violence-free TVET/Skills Training;
Organize policy dialogues, workshops, seminars, trainings, study tour on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in TVET/Skills Training to implement/review national policies and strategies on skills and gender equality; and to integrate gender, equality, diversity and inclusion in workplace training, employment and business practices;
Support DTE/TMED and TVET institutes in developing and implementing action plan on gender equality in TVET/Skills Training including zero tolerance for gender-based violence, digital access, e-commerce and green enterprise promotion as per the 8th five year plan and set-up a tracking system for monitoring gender targets and implementation of action plans;
Support capacity building of the institutes staff to engage private sector, civil society and other existing workers in the design and delivery of the skills trainings in Green sector and 4IR relevant digital learning occupations;
Support DTE/TMED and TVET institutes to undertake gender audit and self-assessment of the training institutes, gender equality mainstreaming related planning and monitoring and identify the gaps and challenges relating to gender mainstreaming in technical training;
Develop knowledge sharing and coordination mechanism amongst TVET institutes, employers and workers organizations to share and adopt best practices in country and beyond;
Explore partnership opportunities and facilitate partnership with relevant public and private organizations to promote gender equality, diversity and inclusion in TVET and employment.
Prepare and submit timely regular work plans, activity reports and other reports as required.
Assume a co-lead role and provide inputs in the preparation of semi-annual and annual reports;
Take responsibility for the logistic, financial and other resources entrusted by the ILO
Carry out instructions and related activities as may be assigned from time to time by the Project Manager.
Required qualifications:
Education:
University Degree in education, public policy, development studies, gender studies, social science or other fields related to job requirements.
Experience:
At least three (3) years of progressively solid experience in a lead role in gender, equality, diversity and inclusion in education sector in general and in education/ technical and vocational education sector, in particular; at the national or international level development projects - preferably in Bangladesh, providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in planning and design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development policies and programmes and establishing inter-relationships among international organizations and national governments specifically in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Demonstrated experience in gender and policy development in the fields of enterprise and skills development.
Solid experience in directly collaborating with GoB’s Ministry of Education in developing inclusive policy and governance mechanism for TVET system - highly preferred
Demonstrated experience is conducting research and policy analysis and organizing policy workshops and trainings is highly preferred
Comprehensive working experience in liaising with ministry of education highly preferred
Demonstrated experience in promoting women’s economic empowerment is highly preferred.
Prior experience in the ILO/ UN System will be an asset.
Languages:
Proficient in speaking and writing in English and Bangla.
