Youth Skills Specialist, Dhaka

About BYLC:

Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC), the country’s first leadership institute, exists to build leadership skills in youth from diverse backgrounds, instill values of empathy, tolerance, and inclusiveness in them to jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. Our goal is to enable our alumni to have a high impact in the public, private and civil sectors. All of BYLC’s efforts aim to strengthen prosperity, justice, and inclusiveness in societies worldwide.

Purpose:

The Youth Skills Specialist will work for USAID Bijoyee Activity of BYLC which is the strategic partner of CARE Bangladesh including some other partner organizations. The project focused on a comprehensive Initiative focused on empowering and engaging young people in Bangladesh. It aims to address various aspects of youth development, including, building, employment, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and social inclusion as stated in project documents.

The Youth Skills Specialist will directly work under supervision of Senior Team Leader of USAID Bijoyee Activity and is responsible to ensure that all project targets are met in relation to youth skills development for wage and self-employment, considering the project focus, timeline and maintaining the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. The position will be based in Dhaka.

Core responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership (20%)

  • Implement effectively the project's vision, mission and goals.
  • Contribute to develop necessary policies and guidelines for the project and ensure implementation.

Ensure

  • A safe, dignified, conducive and inclusive learning and working environment and promote a culture that tangibly reflects the values of BYLC.
  • Transparency, integrity, and other governance and compliance principles within the USAID Bijoyee Activity.
  • The goodwill, credibility, and reputation of BYLC and the project at all times.

Operations (60%)

  • Curriculum Development and Training
  • Design and develop curriculum and training materials for various youth skills development programs, such as life skills, employability skills, entrepreneurship skills, etc.
  • Conduct training needs assessment and gap analysis to identify the learning objectives and outcomes for the target youth groups.
  • Use innovative and participatory methods and tools to deliver engaging and practical training sessions for youth in different settings.
  • Adapt and customize curriculum and training materials according to the local context and needs of the NEET and EET youth participants.
  • Review and update curriculum and training materials regularly to ensure relevance and quality.
  • Facilitate capacity building for youth-serving and youth-led organizations across various change domains.
  • Organize mobile training sessions for BIYA's targeted youth participants.
  • Monitor and ensure the training quality, safety, and sustainability, implementing standardized protocols and procedures.
  • Contribute to the overall youth engagement strategy of the project, including economic opportunities and evidence-based system development

Project Management

  • Coordinate with the BYLC management and other team members to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate the integrated youth activities.
  • Manage the budget and resources for the youth skills development programs.
  • Liaise with relevant stakeholders, such as government agencies, NGOs, private sector partners, educational institutions, etc., to ensure their support and collaboration for the youth skills development programs.
  • Ensure compliance with donor requirements and organizational policies and procedures for the youth skills development programs.
  • Participate in relevant meetings, workshops, training, and events related to integrated youth activities.
  • Contribute to develop necessary monitoring and evaluation tools and ensure their proper use.
  • Review and provide feedback on job placement reports, enhancing monitoring functions.
  • Innovate for quality employment, maintain data integrity, and produce quarterly reports.
  • Maintain strong relationships with the Department of Youth Development and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Facilitate field-level initiatives, workshops, and career counseling.
  • Share success stories, prepare reports, and contribute to internal and external events.
  • Research and Documentation
  • Research on youth's current situation, challenges, and opportunities in rural and urban contexts using quantitative and qualitative methods.
  • Document the integrated youth activities' best practices, lessons learned, and success stories.
  • Prepare and submit reports on the youth skills development programs' progress, achievements, and challenges.
  • Analyze data and feedback from the youth participants and stakeholders to measure the impact and effectiveness of the youth skills development programs.
  • Provide recommendations for improvement and innovation based on the research findings and documentation.

People Management (20%)

  • Coordinate with internal CARE team and external sub-partners for curriculum development.
  • Capacity building, supervising, and monitoring of Master Trainers and Trainers.
  • Partnership management with relevant stakeholders including government agencies, private sectors, NGOs, and others.
  • Establish liaison with HR professionals for job placement.

Desired candidate profile:

Essential Requirements:

Education: Master's Degree in Business Administration, Development Economics, Public Administration, Education, Sociology, or related fields. Minimum 2nd class in all public examinations. A higher degree or relevant training will be considered an added advantage.

Experience:

  • At least 08 years or more of a similar level of experience
  • National level accreditation at level 4 in theory and skills
  • Experience working with youth organizations, project field management, soft skills, and TVET curriculum development and training in an NGO/ development organization
  • Experience in training, learning, and development management for USAID-funded projects will give an advantage.
  • Experiences in the youth development sector including liaison with GOB and NGOs. 

Required Technical skills:

  • Expert in curriculum and material development, designing and conducting training on soft skills, entrepreneurship skills, and technical skills (TVET).
  • Expertise in developing employability skills, entrepreneurship development, and job placement.
  • Advanced knowledge of ILO principles related to skills and enterprise development
  • Knowledge about USAID work modalities
  • Experience working with and for NEET and EET populations
  • Demonstrated experience in project cycle management
  • Proficiency in software/tools and analytical thinking
  • Demonstrated experience in evidence-based practices for youth and adolescent development
  • Competency in developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
  • National level accreditation at level 4 in theory and skills.
  • Candidates must exhibit willingness and flexibility to undertake travel, including stays outside Dhaka. This involves engaging with local communities, comprehending their distinct challenges, and actively participating in community engagement efforts. 

Required Soft Skills:

  • Written and Oral communication in Bangla and English
  • Public Speaking
  • Empathy
  • Demonstration of universal values
  • Organization
  • Time Management 
  • Leadership
  • Non-Violence and Non-Discrimination
  • Respect toward diversity
  • Proficiency in managing and supervising staff and volunteers
  • Commitment to the values and mission of BYLC
  • Excellent rapport-building skills with youth, staff, community members and government and non-government institutions.

Contract Duration: 3 years with possibility of extension for further period as per project requirement.

Employment type: Full-time

Benefits: A Competitive salary with other benefits will be entitled as per BYLC policy

Job location: Dhaka

Application procedure: Email your CV with cover letter (mandatory) to career@bylc.org and jahed@bylc.org mentioning the position name in the subject line

Deadline for application: By 18 November 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessment.

Additional information:

Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) tries to ensure a diverse workforce by providing equal opportunities to everyone, irrespective of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, HIV status, class, ethnicity, disability, location, and religion.

BYLC follows a strict zero-tolerance on any type of abuse towards children and vulnerable adults.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

BYLC does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, or processing).