Interest in technical education growing in Bangladesh: education minister

The government is focusing on the quality of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Bangladesh in view of a growing interest among students, the education minister has said.

Nurul Islam Nahid said, in 2009, the number of students in the TVETs was less than one percent of students in Bangladesh but now they comprise 13 percent.

“Our target is to take it to 20 percent by 2020,” he said on Sunday. “At the same time we’ll focus on improving the quality of their education and training.”

For this, a technical teachers training centre would be set up, he said.

Nahid was launching measures in Dhaka to utilise $100 million additional funds provided by the World Bank for a skill and training enhancement project (STEP).

This fund will be used for “improving” vocational skills and employability of 420,000 Bangladeshi youths to help them find better jobs in local and foreign markets.

The project STEP, began in 2010, has already provided stipends to more than 110,000 poor diploma students in 93 private and public polytechnic institutions.

In addition, nearly 77,000 youths have received free six-month vocational training in 38 trades including electrical, automotive and garment sectors.

Nearly one-third of the students were women and 95 percent of the students completed their courses. Within six months of completing the courses, 42 percent of the trainees got jobs, project details have revealed.

Sathi, a young girl who was married off in her teens, shared her story of survival with this project’s help.

“I was married off when I was young. But my husband used to beat me. I had to leave my husband with my child. Then I took a six-month beautician training from the project that helped me get a job at a beauty parlour. Now I can run my own family,” she said.

Bangladesh is a country with one of the largest populations with youths comprising more than one-third.

People go abroad for jobs and remittance remains a major economic contributor. But statistics show 52 percent of them are low-skilled, capable of finding only low-paid jobs.

“A more skilled workforce is crucial for Bangladesh to realise its aspiration of becoming an upper-middle-income country. For this, it needs to invest more in education, skills and training,” said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh.

He said the additional financing would help improve the quality of technical and vocational education and training.

“It will also support critical reforms to enable the country to prepare a globally competitive workforce for better-paid jobs.”

The additional funds will bolster STEP’s initiatives, till 2019, to increase enrolment, particularly of female students and help improve teaching facilities in the technical institutions.

Senior Secretary for Public Administration Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Secretary-in-charge of the Ministry for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Shamsun Nahar, and Education Secretary Md Sohorab Hossain also spoke at the function.