Nationwide Freelancing Training Drive Launched to Boost Digital Employment
A three-month training course has been officially inaugurated under the project titled ‘Creating Employment through Freelancing Training for Educated Job-Seeking Youth in 64 Districts of the Country.’
The program was launched on Wednesday (1 April) at an event held in the conference room of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, where freelancing training activities were initiated simultaneously across all 64 districts of the country through a virtual platform.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque attended the program virtually as the chief guest and formally inaugurated the program. The event was chaired by the ministry’s Secretary Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam and moderated by the Director General of the Department of Youth Development, Dr. Gazi Md. Saifuzzaman. District-level officials, representatives from e-Learning and Earning Limited, and nearly 5,000 trainees joined the inauguration online.
At the event, State Minister Md. Aminul Haque said that freelancing training has been prioritized in the government’s election manifesto to create new employment opportunities for youth. As part of this commitment, the nationwide freelancing training program has been launched to implement the promise of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam stated that employment remains one of the government’s top priorities, and through freelancing and other modern skill development initiatives, new income opportunities are being created for young people.
Managing Director of e-Learning and Earning Limited, Masud Alam, said that a central database for freelancers has been developed. At the start of the training, profiles are created for participants to store data on their income and progress. He also shared his personal journey of becoming a freelancer and entrepreneur.
According to project information, a total of 36,000 individuals are targeted to be trained under the project from January 2024 to December 2027, with a budget of Tk 373 crore 77 lakh 23 thousand. The activities began on 1 January 2025. e-Learning and Earning Limited is conducting the training across 64 districts under 8 divisions of the country.
For the sixth batch, running from 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026, a total of 4,800 participants—75 from each district—are taking part. Youth aged between 18 and 35 years with a minimum HSC qualification have been selected. A committee comprising representatives of the Deputy Commissioner, officials from the Department of Youth Development, and representatives of the training provider institutions conducted the selection process.
So far, a total of 14,400 individuals have completed training in 5 phases. Among them, 60 percent, or 8,640 individuals, are working in local and international marketplaces. Their total earnings amount to $1,845,645, which is approximately Tk 22 crore 70 lakh 14 thousand 416. Mentoring classes have been arranged in each district to support income generation.
For this batch, 97,229 applicants applied, of whom 61,581 were selected to sit for the examination. Through written and viva examinations, 4,800 candidates were finally selected. Trainees will receive a total of 600 hours of training over three months, with 8 hours of training per day.
The training modules include computer office applications, freelancing, basic English, digital marketing, soft skills, freelancing via smartphones, graphics design, and video editing. It was also informed at the event that trainees are being provided with travel allowances, meals, and training materials. Certificates will be awarded upon completion. Representatives from the ministry, department, and relevant agencies are regularly monitoring the training activities.
DBTech/MR/MUM/OR
