This article gives a snapshot of current much discussed skills development in the country which is linked with the vision 2021. However, one major problem remains is the employment generation to validate the skills development activities. Another point of this article is to propose more use of engineers (i.e., engineering human resources of the country) for skills development and also some enhance role of IEB in this area.

1. The Engineers’ Role in Enhancing the Current
Skills Development Efforts in Bangladesh
Dr Engr. Zowadul Karim Khan, M-169281
Picture 1: Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was unveiling the logo of World Skills Bangladesh for the
45th World Skills Competition to be held in Russia in 2019. The competition will be held at Kazan in Russia from
August 22 to 27 in 2019. Bangladesh will participate in such an event for the first time [Photo credit: NSDC]
1. Introduction
To fulfill the visions for Bangladesh in 2021, or popularly known as Vision 2021 the nation
requires a well-trained and skilled workforce (1). Skills development is one of the three priority
areas for Bangladesh development (the other two are infrastructure and power or energy).
Current 7th
Five Year Plan identifies skills development as a key Growth Driver (2).
Bangladesh has Demographic Dividend, as the median age of the population is around only 27
years (3), and there are around 33 million young2
people, two million more young people are
added to this every year. Despite this dividend, we have the problems of employing these young
people productively, and on the other hand some emerging industries reportedly facing the
problem of the shortage of the skilled workforce. In such circumstances, Skills Development
remains as a very important national agenda.
Since the adoption of a National Skills Development Policy (NSDP) in 2011 much progress
has been achieved (3). In pursuant to that policy Competency Based Skills Development
system has been introduced and now widely practiced following a National Technical and
Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF). Competency Based Training ensures direct
1
Program Manager (Skills Development), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) (a
Donor Agency under the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland), Embassy of
Switzerland, Dhaka, Bangladesh (formerly); also, National Professional Consultant, TVET Reform
Project, ILO, Dhaka, Bangladesh; contact: zowadulkarim@yahoo.com, +8801712010029.
2
By young, here it is 15-24 year age range

2. linkage of the training with the work and employment. Currently around three to four hundred
thousand3
young people receive skills training every year. This skills training is mostly in the
form of short (three to six months) courses, and is delivered free (thanking to project supports)
and often with stipends too. Other than the above, industry linkage with the skills training is also
enhancing. However, despite the achievement, there are many challenges and constrains too,
which are mentioned in the next sections of this article, along with conclusions and
recommendations.
2. Institutional Structure of Skills development in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh skills training is offered by many different actors, as described below:
- Public training schools (like, TSCs, TTCs etc),
- Industry Association owned centers (like those run by BGMEA, BEIOA, BACI etc),
- NGO-run training centers (now almost all large NGOs have their own skills training wing
and training centers), and
- Private training centers.
However, regarding the government skills development system, it requires a mention that more
than 21 ministries are involved in Skills Development in Bangladesh, which is often seen as a
problem. The current National Skills Development Council (NSDC)4
under the Ministry of Labor
and Employment has the function of coordination, liaison with private sector etc, but lacks
authority. A National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) under the Prime Minister’s Office
will start functioning soon and enhance the sector (4). Currently the lead ministries in the skills
development are the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas
Employment and Ministry of Labor and Employment. A tentative landscape of Skills
Development is given in the figure 1. below.
Figure 1: Landscapes of Skills Development in Bangladesh
3
This is a guess by the author from own field experience.
4
Find more details about NSDC in: http://www.nsdc.gov.bd/en/home/

3. 3. Prevalence of Project Based Skills Development System
In past skills training was mostly offered by public and private training schools. Presently skills
training is mostly delivered by projects. Whether it is a viable option that also requires to be
analyzed. The larger projects5
are:
- Skills for Employment Investment Program (SEIP): multi-tranche project,
implemented by Ministry of Finance, duration: 2015-2023, includes all major sectors,
total training target: around half million, mostly short courses, and training is free and
with stipend, an important feature is partnership with the Industry Associations and
PKSF, the project is also facilitating formation of the NSDA and NHRDF (skills fund),
funding: Bangladesh Government, ADB and SDC.
- Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) works with polytechnic institutes
under the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), funded by the World Bank.
- Sudokkho, funded by DFID and SDC, offers to develop private and NGO sector skills
training delivery market.
- Others: Skills 21 funded by EU, B-SEP funded by Canada for Apprenticeship
development, B-SkillFUL funded by SDC working in the informal sectors, BRAC skills
development program, ILO’s programs, Skills program of A2i under Prime Minister’s
Office and UCEP etc.
A Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) for the sector to avoid project based approach and to
ensure coordinated used of donor support for skills development remains in the wish list for a
long period.
4. Private Sector and Industry Participation in Skills Development
One positive aspect of recent skills development trend is the involvement of the private sector
and industry. There are at present around twelve Industry Skills Council (ISC), one each for
all major sectors, like garments, construction, leather, tourism, pharmaceuticals, furniture etc.
An ISC taking representatives from all of the associations within that sector, has an advisory
role in course and curriculum development and industry linkages for employment. However,
more industry involvement is desired, particularly for the development of the Apprenticeship
system.
5. Foreign Aid Dependence
The skills development sector still largely depends on foreign support, both in the form of loan
and grants. While, both ADB and World bank are providing loan, different grants are provided by
donors like European Union, Canada, DFID (UK), SDC (Switzerland), Sida (Sweden) and
others. ILO of UN remains as a large implementing agency for various skills development
projects. From my experience of working in this sector, my own guess is that around 70 to 80
million USD of loan, and around 30 to 40 million USD of grant are used in this sector annually.
Though this sector enjoys a good flow of foreign aid, the cost effectiveness or aid effectiveness
requires more reviews.
5
Projects’ names are mentioned just for information. No opinion is expressed on merits, size and
quality of any particular project or its implementer.

4. 6. Engineers’ Role for Enhancing the Skills Development
From my personal experience in this sector, there is scope of more involvement and
employment of engineers in this sector. Presently many engineers are working as principals and
instructors in the TSCs and TTCs. However, engineers are less represented in policy,
administration and design stages of skills development.
There is an employment problem for fresh graduate engineers, like any other graduates (6).
However, engineers can be employed in the skills development sector on a “preference” basis.
Though diploma engineers are involved, graduate engineers should also get due scopes, if they
desire so. At institutional level, IEB may consider itself being involved more in skills
development, and needs to be considered as a major stakeholder in this emerging field.
7. Constraints and Challenges
The major constraints and challenges in my view are as follows:
 Lack of accurate and up-to-date Skills Gap/Demand information: Despite the
perceived skills shortage, many skills training graduates (in my own observation almost
50%) cannot find any work, which is a huge wastage of resource (around and at least
fifty thousand taka is spent for a short course training graduate) and time (up to six
months). Often an individual trainee is not bothered by this wastage, as she or he gets
stipends for attending the training, but the wastage has a cost. So information about
sector and trade wise accurate and up-to-date skills demands are necessary. There
have been efforts for it, but not with any success yet.
 Defragmentation and Scattered Actions: As already mentioned, 21 ministries for one
sector, skills development. Of course there would be no problem, if there were
coordination. Now an NSDA is under formation, which will hopefully take the lead.
 Skills training with less technical/practical/on-the-job components: Industries are
often found reluctant to offer their premises/facilities for training purpose. Individual
training providers also do not like to spend for procuring training related machineries and
equipment.
 Lack of Apprenticeship Scope: As per ILO definition an Apprentice is a trainee worker,
benefitting both himself or herself and the industry also. However, our industries are not
much interested in apprenticeship system due to labor law problems and finding this
system not benefitting them. This mindset needs to be changed. However, at present
initiatives have been taken by a2i to popularize the apprenticeship system.
 Lack of Ease of doing business: Bangladesh is considered as a difficult place to do a
business and ranked very low in related indicator. If there is less business, there will be
less scope of employment, which will turn skills development less rewarding.
8. Conclusion
This article gives a snapshot of current much discussed skills development in the country which
is linked with the vision 2021. However, one major problem remains is the employment
generation to validate the skills development activities. Another point of this article is to propose
more use of engineers (i.e., engineering human resources of the country) for skills development
and also some enhance role of IEB in this area.

5. 9. Works Cited
1. BANGLADESH Vision 2021. Dhaka : Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), 2007.
2. Seventh Five Year Plan, FY2016 - FY2020, Accelarating Growth, Empowering Citizens.
Dhaka : General Economics Division (GED), Planning Commission, Government of the Peoples
Republic of Bangladesh, 2015.
3. World Fact Book. [Online] Central Intelligence Agency. [Cited: January 29, 2019.]
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/fields/343.html.
4. National Skills Development Policy (NSDP). Dhaka : Ministry of Education, Government of
the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, 2011.
5. Bangladesh Post. [Online] September 19, 2018. [Cited: January 19, 2019.]
https://www.bangladeshpost.net/formation-of-nsda-soon-to-build-skill-workforce/.
6. The Daily Sun. Educated, Unemployed and Frustrated. [Online] March 28, 2018. [Cited:
January 29, 2019.] http://www.daily-sun.com/post/298283/2018/03/28/Educated-Unemployed-
and-Frustrated.
10. Abbreviations
A2i Access to Information
ADB Asian Development Bank
BACI Bangladesh Association of Construction Industries
BEIOA Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association
BGMEA Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association
BMET Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training
CPD Centre for Policy Dialogue
GED General Economics Division
ILO International Labor Organization
ISC Industry Skills Council
NGO Non-Government Organization
NSDP National Skills Development Policy
NTVQF National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework
PKSF Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation
SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
SEIP Skills for Employment Investment Program
TSC Technical School and College
TTC Technical Training Center
TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training
UN United Nations