Comprehensive reform necessary for skill development, experts say

Policymakers, economists, development partners, development practitioners, grassroots participants and industry representatives have called for a comprehensive reform of Bangladesh's skills development system.

They said stronger coordination among the government, educational institutions and industry is essential to produce job-ready graduates and a globally competitive skilled workforce.

The observations came at a roundtable discussion jointly organised by The Financial Express and PKSF at the PKSF Bhaban on Monday.

Speakers said the existing mismatch between the education system and labour market demand remains one of the biggest obstacles to fully harnessing Bangladesh's demographic dividend.

To address the challenge, they stressed the need for a demand-driven, industry-led skills development system aligned with the requirements of both domestic and international labour markets.

In his opening remarks, PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader said: "There is an urgent need to change societal perceptions of technical and vocational education.

"At the same time, industries should be provided with more effective incentives to invest in workforce skills development and the recognition of workers' competencies."

He also underscored the importance of providing internationally recognised certification to expand employment opportunities for migrant workers and protect their rights.

He further urged policymakers to consider PKSF as an accredited institution for certifying short-term skills development training programmes.

Kazi Mashrur-ul-Alam, senior programme manager of PKSF's RAISE Project, said that although training systems have been established in the country, the ecosystem needed to effectively connect skills development with employment has yet to be developed.

Ashfaque Rahman, an apprentice under the project, shared how the training enabled him to secure employment as a Service Engineer at Hyundai Bangladesh.

Anika Rahman, task team leader of the World Bank-supported project, said around 2 million people enter the labour market every year, and Bangladesh must move beyond conventional training programmes to establish an integrated ecosystem linking skills development with employment.

During the discussion, speakers emphasised institutional reforms in the skills development system, an effective labour market information system, greater participation by industry, expansion of technical and vocational education, language training for migrant workers, and investment in emerging technologies such as machine learning, industrial automation and 3D printing.

ATM Mahbub-ul-Karim, project director of the Wage Earners' Welfare Board; Md Abdul Karim, executive director of UCEP Bangladesh; Md Shahid Uz Zaman, executive director of ESDO; Prof Md Taufiqul Islam, member of the PKSF Board of Directors; Md Mashiar Rahman, deputy managing director of PKSF were present at the event. 

Representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), BRAC, research organisations and The Financial Express also took part in the discussion.