In a mutual effort to drive Bangladesh forward through unleashing the potential of the country’s youth by equipping them with relevant skills and getting them future-ready, Grameenphone and UNDP are set to launch a unique virtual learning masterclass series titled “Get Future Ready: Need for Skills,” as part of their commitment made on the last World Youth Skills Day.

A pool of prominent leaders and experts will engage and guide the participant youth with the objective of enabling economic opportunities for all, especially in the post-pandemic era. The “Masterclass” sessions shall commence on August 28 and continue till September 25, connecting the leading industry experts to the future professionals and transforming the country’s population dividend into the key driving force of the economy through workforce capability developments.

The theme for the series is “Get Future Ready – Need for Skills” following which distinguished mentors like Sudipto Mukerjee (Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh); Rubana Huq (Past President, BGMEA); Ridwan Kabir (Vice President, AT&T); Zaved Akhtar (CEO, Unilever); and Yasir Azman (CEO, Grameenphone).

Through interactive Zoom sessions, the speakers will discuss various aspects of inclusion, entrepreneurship, global professional scenario, innovation, leadership, and other business and career highlights. Selective university students currently doing the Communication Skills, Digital Marketing & Entrepreneurship course under GP Explorers – a skills-led digital academy by Grameenphone – will join the sessions.

“We have the crucial advantage of a demographic dividend, which we need to utilize to the fullest,” said ----of Grameenphone. “Through sessions like “Masterclass,” our youth will get the opportunity to connect and learn directly from a handful of distinguished professionals. They can ask questions to satiate all their queries, from which other young audiences watching the live sessions can also benefit. Hopefully, this is going to be an immensely fruitful initiative for all of us,” he said.

UNDP’s Resident Representative, Sudipto Mukerjee said, “This series of Masterclass, will orient young people to the kinds of soft skills and values which are increasingly considered essential in any workplace and in turn equipping them to become good professionals. UNDP is working with all development actors including the private sector to co-create platforms to help youth to not only access more dignified economic opportunities but through that becoming better able to contribute a modern and prosperous Bangladesh for all”.

The first session of the series shall be conducted by Sudipto Mukerjee, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh, on the engaging topic – “Inclusion, more than just diversity,” on August 28 from 07:30 PM. All sessions of “Masterclass” will be broadcast live on Grameenphone, UNDP, and Prothom Alo’s Facebook platforms.