Alongside technical skills, soft skills, particularly language proficiency, are extremely important in developing a skilled workforce. English language competency can significantly enhance the employability of young people in both national and international labor markets, said PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader. He made these remarks during a meeting between PKSF and the British Council on 3 June 2025 at the PKSF Bhaban.

The meeting discussed the need for enhancing English language skills in addition to technical training for apprentices under PKSF’s RAISE project. Fazlul Kader noted that there is scope for collaboration with the British Council in two areas: to improve communication capacity through English language training for PKSF staff, and to boost the employability of RAISE apprentices, especially for opportunities abroad, through English language instruction.

From the British Council, Country Director Stephen Forbes and other senior officials attended the meeting. Md Hasan Khaled, Deputy Managing Director of PKSF; Dilip Kumar Chakravorty, General Manager and Project Coordinator of RAISE; and officials from the RAISE Project Management Unit also attended the meeting.

Under the Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE) project, PKSF is providing capacity development training and inclusive financing to 183,000 youth and micro-entrepreneurs. Apprentices under this initiative receive technical and life skills development training, while young micro-entrepreneurs are trained in general and trade-specific business management, risk management, and life skills development to help expand their businesses.