Bangladesh has an abundance of young people seeking employment. At the same time, there are numerous skills-training programmes offered by educational and training institutions. But a mismatch exists - employers often struggle to find workers with proper skills on the one hand and many young people with education or training remain unemployed or underemployed on the other. This is a major problem in the country that needs to be addressed as it tries to make better use of its young workforce.
Bangladesh has been focusing on expanding access to training for years. But the problem is that training itself does not guarantee any employment. Whether a young person acquires the right skills for a particular job or business is more important.
The priority should be given to linking skills with employment. Employers should play a more meaningful role in deciding what competencies trainees need and what would be taught and how. Training providers should work in coordination with employers where these skills are used.
Globally, demand in the labour market is changing rapidly with technical changes. Skills development must keep pace with these changes. Those looking for employment need technical knowledge. They also need communication skills, problem-solving ability, digital literacy and adaptation ability.
The definition of a skilled worker also changes with time. There are millions of people who have acquired valuable skills through years of practical work but have little formal documentation of the skills. Their experience and skills should be taken into account. A system should be established under which formal certification would be given for such skills. This certification will improve their chances of securing better jobs, at home and abroad.
Skills programmes will have limited impact unless the practical obstacles are addressed. The same principle applies to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who are outside education, employment or training. Reaching them requires more than opening training centres. They need information, counselling, financial support and a realistic pathway from training to income.
The country also needs to think carefully about the skills of migrant workers. Overseas employment is an important source of income for millions of families, but workers cannot compete effectively in international labour markets without appropriate technical skills, language ability and recognised qualifications. Returning migrants, too, should have opportunities to use their experience and skills productively after coming home.
Perhaps the biggest change required is in the way success is measured. The number of people trained is an easy figure to report, but it tells only part of the story. A better question is what happened to those people afterwards. How many found jobs? How many increased their income? How many started businesses? How long did they remain employed? Did their skills match what employers needed?
These outcomes should carry greater weight when training programmes are designed, funded and evaluated.
None of this can be achieved by one ministry or one institution.
Government agencies, employers, training institutions, financial institutions, development organisations and civil-society groups all have a role to play. They need better coordination to avoid duplication of programmes and ensure that they contribute more to employment of citizens.
The country's challenge is not simply to produce a larger number of trained people. It is to create a system in which a young person's education or training leads to a job, a business, a better income and a more secure future.
That is when skills development will truly begin to translate into economic opportunity.
