These twin reports share on the outcome of ADB's joint study with Australian Aid which aims to find innovative ways to improve the human capital through improved higher education and technical and vocational studies in South Asian nations. Coverage: Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives

1. InnovativeStrategiesinHigherEducationfor
AcceleratedHRDinSouthAsia
InnovativeStrategiesinTechnicaland
VocationalEducationandTrainingfor
AcceleratedHRDinSouthAsia
(Getthefull-textPDFofthesepublicationsfromourwebsite:
http://www.adb.org/publications/innovative-strategies-higher-education-accelerated-hrd-south-asia
http://www.adb.org/publications/innovative-strategies-tech-voc-education-training-human-resource-development-south-asia)
South Asia Regional Department
Book Launch, 11 July 2014
Asian Development Bank HQ in Manila

2. Presentation outline
• Purpose of the reports
• South Asian context
• Key findings
• Key recommendations

3. Purpose of the Reports
• Explore innovative ways of delivery, and rethink the role of
governments and new financing modalities such as public-
private partnerships to inform SARD operations in human
development
• Coverage: Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and
Maldives
• Funded by Australian Aid
• Team involved:
Reports Higher Education TVET
Regional William Saint Richard Johanson
Bangladesh Md. Mannan Md. Mohiuzzaman
Nepal Hridaya Bajracharya Devi Dahal
Sri Lanka Sunil Chandrasiri Sunil Chandrasiri
National Coordinator: Nicholas Tenazas and Rhona Caoli-Rodriguez
Task Leader: Brajesh Panth

4. South Asian Context
• Rural areas predominate –
81% in Nepal, 72% in Bangladesh, 86% in Sri
Lanka – but with urbanization now accelerating
• Large informal sector:
90% of labor force in Nepal, 80% in Bangladesh,
and 60% in Sri Lanka
• Low global competitiveness, except Sri Lanka
• Young population slated to be a major source of
global labor force (demographic dividends)

5. Economic Structure and Share
of Employment
33
39 41
16 14 16
34
40 43
48
37
53
39
45
50 47
53
58
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Bangladesh Nepal Sri Lanka
Services
13 10 11
3
10 10
19
24 2522 25 29
12
17 15
29 30 29
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Bangladesh Nepal Sri Lanka
Industry
54 51 48
81
76 74
47
36 3330
26
19
48
38 35
24
18
13
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010 1990 2000 2010
Bangladesh Nepal Sri Lanka
%total
Agriculture % of employment
% of output

6. Rising Remittances

7. Key Findings: TVET
• Major skills mismatches, tracer studies rare
• Labor force expanding: still low education and
training, but rising
• Large numbers of NGO/private providers
• Strongly centralized administration with
fragmentation of public provision
• Training capacity only a fraction, with low funding
• Policies developed recently and apex bodies
formed or in the process of consolidation

8. Key Findings: Higher Education
• Quality assurance agencies are uncommon
but serious recognition to address this
• Specialized universities are few
• Enrollment and competition rising sharply
• Limited or no use of funding formulas
• Public-private partnerships gaining
attention
• Limited use of technology

9. Key Findings: Common
• Equity: Inequitable access in higher
education and barriers to entry in TVET
• Quality: Weak quality assurance
mechanisms
• Relevance: Detached from real world
(more theoretical)
• Governance: Centralized administration
with limited autonomy
• Funding: High reliance on public funding

10. Key Recommendations
• Equity: Flexibility in access, pathways for mobility
(lifelong learning), differentiated system, targeting
• Quality: Institutionalize quality assurance (improve
assessment and certification, quality
trainers/teachers, accreditation, mutual recognition)
• Relevance: Link to economic strategies, sector
priorities, skills-gap analysis, PPPs
• Governance: Rationalize management & provisions,
greater autonomy, rethink the role of government
• Funding: Use performance-based, diversify funding,
leverage public funds, incentivize private sector

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