Project Name: Recovery and Advancement in Informal Sector employment (RAISE)
Project Objective: The project aims to enhance economic inclusion of low-income youth and micro-entrepreneurs in urban and peri-urban areas.
Project Goal: To enhance the capacities and productivity of youth and young micro-entrepreneurs in the informal sector by developing their capacities and providing inclusive finance. To engage youth from low-income households in sustainable employment through apprenticeship programs.
Project Brief: SDS (Shariatpur Development Society) has been working on various projects as an affiliate of PKSF for the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. In continuation of this, SDS is implementing the various activities of RAISE Project in all Upazilas of Shariatpur district since 2022. In 2018, the World Bank in association with PKSF, carried out a Gap Analysis Study in order to identify the gaps in the services provided under the micro-enterprise programs/projects so that these could be properly addressed. From this study, it was found that the micro-enterprises in the informal sector are constrained by lack of skills of the entrepreneurs including life-skills, entrepreneurial skills and technical skills; lack of access to finance especially for the start-ups and those entrepreneurs are falling behind; use of low-technology which causes lower productivity; and substantial gender gaps in labour market outcomes among others. In addition to that, many skilled youths including females prefer to be self-employed; however, due to lack of business knowledge and start-up capital constraints they are unable to do so. The need for targeted labour market programs for those in the informal sector, especially urban and peri-urban youth, has been made more urgent by the recent COVID-19 crisis, due to the urban and peri-urban informal sector being disproportionately affected by the COVID related shocks.
In this context, PKSF undertook the ‘Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE)’ Project in February 2022 jointly financed by the World Bank and PKSF. The RAISE project will facilitate employability and increase productivity of informal sector, and provide financial assistance to 175,000 low-income youths, micro-entrepreneur and COVID-19 affected micro-entrepreneurs in urban and peri-urban areas across the country. PKSF will implement the project through its 70 POs. In addition to this, the RAISE project has another component on recovery and reintegration of COVID-affected returnee migrants which will be implemented by the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board (WEWB) under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare & Overseas Employment. SDS stared partnership with PKSF since July 2022 for RAISE Project as Implementing RAISE activities.
Working Area: All six Upazilas in Shariatpur district.
Beneficiaries: 1. COVID-affected micro-entrepreneurs -1300
2. Youth and micro-entrepreneurs from low-income households -858 up to second year ( Every year it selects by PKSF)
3. Apprenticeship program for Skill development- 335 ( up to 2nd year, Every year it selects by PKSF)
Major activities:
1. Inclusive finance to COVID-affected micro-entrepreneurs to restore the businesses of micro-entrepreneurs and 3days Risk Management & Business Continuity (RMBC) training
2. Inclusive finance to expand the business/enterprise to Youth and micro-entrepreneurs from low-income households and Provide Business Management & Entrepreneurship Development (BMED) training
3. Capacity development for the apprenticeship trainees on Technical Skills under Master Craftsperson (MCP).
• Capacity development on Life-skills under skilled trainer;
• Support for wage and self-employment;
• Inclusive finance for the apprenticeship trainees to start a new business/enterprise (10% of the participants under this category)
