The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), in partnership with Coursera and Udemy, provided scholarships to lifelong learners from Commonwealth countries to access skills training required for decent employment and entrepreneurship.

Since the lockdown induced by Covid-19, COL has provided over 200,000 of these scholarships including Grow with Google courses being a part of the Coursera platform.

In Bangladesh, COL partnered with Better Future for Women (BFW) to implement the scholarship programme, with over 8,000 learners benefitting. Social media channels are designed to reach potential participants from local communities, government agencies, and universities.

Syed Nazmus Sakib, a resident of Sylhet in the northeastern part of the country, stated that “the programme provided high-quality, free e-learning courses, arming me with programming and coding skills and paving the way for a career in the digital economy sector. I now work with a software company as an Associate Software Engineer.”

Sakhawat Hossen, a student from rural Birganj, completed a course in ‘MERN’ Stack Development through the COL– Udemy initiative. “This learning experience surpassed what my university could offer,” Sakhawat stated, attributing his career progression to the knowledge and skills he acquired through the programme.

Nadira Ahmed from Dhaka stated that “the programme equipped me with essential skills in Search Engine Optimization and Web Content Creation that prepared me to navigate the digital landscape and assist businesses in achieving online success.”

Robert Okinda, COL’s Adviser: Skills, explained that the programme not only helps improve the employability of lifelong learners in Bangladesh but also conforms to COL’s strategy aimed at strengthening skilling and reskilling using ODL. He added that this approach aims to create a workforce that is resilient and adaptable, capable of navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the ever-evolving work environment.