In countless homes across Bangladesh, a familiar frustration surfaces almost daily. Young people say: “I have a degree, I have skills … so where is the job?”

Employers, meanwhile, look at piles of CVs and wonder, “We have vacancies … so where are the skilled candidates?”

This disconnect between job seekers and employers has quietly grown into one of Bangladesh’s most pressing economic and social emergencies. As the country enters a critical election period, the scale of the issue demands sharper national attention.

Bangladesh is living through a demographic moment where almost 36% of the population falls between the ages of 15 and 29. This should have been our greatest competitive advantage, yet it is fast becoming a source of collective anxiety.

The Labour Force Survey 2024 reveals that 2.66 million people remain unemployed. Youth unemployment is significantly higher than the national average, and the rate among tertiary-educated young people has reached 13 to 14%, nearly triple the national rate.

Young women face even harsher realities, with many leaving the labour force altogether. Bangladesh is producing graduates in large numbers, but not graduates who are employable, and the gap between credentials and competencies is widening.

In parallel, employers across key sectors such as RMG, agro-processing, logistics, retail, and IT services consistently report that vacancies remain unfilled. They point to the same weaknesses among entry-level applicants: Weak digital literacy, poor communication skills, limited problem-solving ability, and a general lack of practical or industry-relevant experience.

Assessments from the ILO repeatedly warn that the skills mismatch is becoming one of the biggest constraints on Bangladesh’s economic transformation, slowing down automation, weakening competitiveness, and reducing productivity.

Simply put, Bangladesh has jobs, but not enough job-ready candidates.

Several factors are driving this widening mismatch. Our education system remains heavily theory-oriented and largely disconnected from industry needs. Students graduate with certificates yet with minimum competencies. Employers report that new graduates often struggle with basic workplace tasks that require hands-on engagement, analytical thinking, workplace etiquette, and professional communication.

A newer challenge has emerged as well. Students now increasingly rely on AI tools to produce assignments, reports, and even full projects. While technology can support learning, overdependence means many students complete their academic work without developing essential analytical writing, presentation skills or problem-solving abilities. They may produce polished submissions, but lack real understanding of industry practices or expectations. Employers detect this gap immediately.

Economic uncertainty has further intensified the problem. Slower growth in formal job creation, coupled with inflation and market fluctuations, has made private-sector hiring more cautious in recent years.

Understandably, this has led many young people to view government jobs as a more stable and predictable option. The student demonstrations in 2024 related to public sector recruitment highlighted broader concerns among graduates about the overall strength and readiness of the private sector to absorb large numbers of new entrants into the workforce.

The impact on industry is equally serious. Sectors such as manufacturing, ICT, logistics, and services depend on a pipeline of mid-level technicians, supervisors, and digitally capable workers to sustain productivity. When these roles remain unfilled, firms struggle to adopt new technologies, expand output, or move into higher-value activities.

This slows innovation and reduces the competitiveness needed. Over time, the gap between educational attainment and employment outcomes erodes confidence in institutions, leaving young people disillusioned and contributing to broader social frustration.

Students today are engaging in a wide range of activities, from clubs and forums to webinars, international seminars, and skill development sessions. These platforms reflect a growing interest in broadening horizons and exploring opportunities beyond the classroom.

Many young people are enthusiastic about gaining exposure, meeting new people, and learning about emerging fields. Industry visits, campus tours, and inter-university programs or conferences are often attended with excitement but these, at the same time, should be used as opportunities to build professional networks or exchange ideas with experts.

The encouraging sign is that students are actively seeking experiences; the next step is to channel that enthusiasm into deeper learning and meaningful skill development.

Global best practice shows that these activities can become powerful strengths if approached strategically. Leading universities emphasize deep learning, where students are encouraged to read widely, analyze concepts in context, and reflect on how each experience connects to industry needs.

Workshops are designed to build competence, not collections. Developed countries structure hands-on micro-projects and real-world tasks that require repeated practice and measurable outcomes. Industry visits in strong institutions are always followed by guided reflection where students articulate what they observed, how it links to coursework, and what challenges the organization faces that they might one day solve.

Conferences are treated as networking platforms, where students are expected to meet professionals, follow up with them, and present posters or concept papers.

Reading habits also matter profoundly. Nations with the strongest innovation output consistently show that students read more widely books, case studies, industry reports, and that this habit builds critical thinking, creativity, vocabulary, and independent judgment.

Bangladesh now stands at a crucial turning point. Whether the nation advances toward high-income status or remains stuck will depend heavily on our ability to repair the skills-jobs disconnect. The familiar slogans skill ache to job nai and job ache to skill nai capture a crisis many decades in the making. But crises, when recognized clearly, can also spark transformation.

If Bangladesh modernizes its skill development ecosystem, strengthens alignment between industry and education, and places true employability at the centre of its priorities, the country’s youth can become a driving force for the next chapter of economic progress.

The demographic dividend is shrinking. The window for action is narrowing. The time to realign skills with opportunity is now.

Dr Nusrat Hafiz is Assistant Professor & WEC Director, BRAC Business School, BRAC University.