This project improves skills and economic opportunities for women and youth in Cox’s Bazar through pre-vocational and vocational training. Participants gain practical skills in computer operation, graphic design, digital marketing, and tailoring to increase employability, freelancing, and sustainable livelihoods.

The initiative provides market-relevant training for 400 women and youth across Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ramu, Pekua, and Moheshkhali. Through courses in computer operation, digital marketing, graphic design, and tailoring, participants build digital skills and income-generating opportunities.

Project Completion Report: UNDP ISEC Project Implementation by SSD Academy

Meta Description: Discover how SSD Academy successfully delivered pre-vocational and vocational skills training in Cox’s Bazar under the UNDP ISEC Project in partnership with RISDA-Bangladesh. Explore key milestones, trade outcomes, and CBT&A certification achievements.

Project Summary & Executive Overview

Project Title: Improving Skills and Economic Opportunities for Women and Youth in Cox's Bazar (ISEC) Project
Implementing Agency: RISDA-Bangladesh
Skills Service Provider (SSP): Step-Up Skill Development Academy (SSD Academy)
Location: Cox's Bazar Sadar, Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh
Target Beneficiaries: Vulnerable youth, women, and Qawmi Madrasha students
Key Certification Authorities: Bureau of Non-Formal Education (BNFE) & National Skills Development Authority (NSDA)

Under the UNDP ISEC Project, Step-Up Skill Development Academy (SSD Academy) acted as a Skills Service Provider (SSP) in partnership with RISDA-Bangladesh

. The intervention provided market-aligned, Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBT&A) across Pre-Vocational and Vocational tracks, bridging foundational skills with formal national certification pathways

Key Training Deliverables & Batch Performance

Training modules were structured under a strict 80% practical to 20% theory ratio, adhering to BNFE 360-hour pre-vocational and NSDA 360-hour vocational frameworks (including 60 hours of mandatory industry attachment for vocational cohorts)

Phase & Trade Track	Batch Duration	Target Beneficiaries	Enrolled	Completed	Assessment & Certification
Phase 1: Computer Operation & Graphics Design (Pre-Voc)	Aug 2025 – Dec 2025	Qawmi Madrasha Youth	120 (3 Batches)	120	94.4% Competency Rate (Pre-Voc overall)
Phase 1: Tailoring & Dress Making (Pre-Voc)	Sep 2025 – Dec 2025	Women & Youth	40 (1 Batch)	40	151 Trainees Certified (Pre-Voc overall)
Phase 1: Digital Marketing for Freelancing (Vocational)	Sep 2025 – Dec 2025	Youth & Job Seekers	40 (1 Batch)	40	40 Industry Attachments Completed
Phase 1: Computer Operation (Vocational)	Sep 2025 – Dec 2025	Youth & Job Seekers	40 (1 Batch)	40	40 Industry Attachments Completed
Phase 2: Computer Operation & Graphics Design (Pre-Voc)	Nov 2025 – Mar 2026	Qawmi Madrasha Youth	120 (3 Batches)	120	149 Trainees Certified
Phase 2: Tailoring & Dress Making (Pre-Voc)	Dec 2025 – Mar 2026	Women & Youth	40 (1 Batch)	40	94% Competency Achievement Rate

Implementation Highlights & Quality Assurance

Competency-Based Delivery: Applied standard CBT&A methodologies delivered by certified trainers using complete toolkits and structured Competency Standard Logbooks (CSLB).
Institutional Integration: Established functional MOUs with local Qawmi Madrashas to integrate technical IT labs and modern dressmaking setups into non-formal institutions.
Gender Inclusion: Maintained dedicated female cohorts in trades such as Tailoring & Dress Making and digital trades to enhance women's economic participation.
Rigorous Oversight: Maintained end-to-end documentation compliance including MIS verification, milestone reporting, and routine monitoring visits with RISDA-Bangladesh and UNDP field teams.

Strategic Impact & Sustainable Pathways

Accredited Pathways: Enabled over 300 madrasha students and local youth across project phases to transition into nationally certified technical qualification frameworks (BNFE/NSDA).
Livelihood Readiness: Enhanced practical capabilities for wage employment, freelancing, and micro-entrepreneurship within the Cox’s Bazar economic corridor.
Institutional Sustainability: Transformed community and madrasha venues into viable, long-term technical learning hubs equipped for continued skills training interventions.