Staff Reporter :
Experts stressed on creating skilled human resources for sustainable employment in Bangladesh.
They said there are a deep link between skilled human resources, employment creation, and overall economic development. When a nation transforms its vast population into skilled manpower through education, training, and healthcare, they can utilize natural and capital resources efficiently, boost production, and create jobs-strengthening the economy sustainably.
Economist M Masrur Reaz noted that while Bangladesh talks of export diversification, it has not built matching human resources. Garments account for 84pc of total exports, yet much more value could be added. He urged technical and vocational training from secondary to higher levels and stressed identifying priority export sectors and ensuring skilled labor for them.
Fazle Shamim Ehsan, President of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, shared that industries often fail to find required talent. To address this, employment-focused education and technical training for secondary-level graduates are essential. With AI and automation reshaping industries, unskilled labor risks becoming obsolete. He advised students to pursue vocational, practical education rather than relying solely on academic degrees.
Business leader Sakif Shamim, Managing Director of Labaid Cancer Hospital and FBCCI Vice-President candidate, highlighted that much of Bangladesh’s huge workforce still lacks adequate skills, keeping productivity low compared to global benchmarks. For inclusive and sustainable growth, skill development and job creation are imperative. He stressed mandatory English education, observing that many graduates even struggle with proper Bangla.
He pointed out the acute shortage of specialists in AI, robotics, blockchain, and green technology. While services and manufacturing now account for 53pc of GDP, middle and senior technical roles in garments (82pc of exports) are often filled by foreigners, draining foreign exchange. To reduce this dependency, Shamim suggested:
Continuous, industry-driven updates of TVET and higher education curricula.
Mandatory apprenticeships and adoption of global certification standards.
A centralized real-time database to match workforce skills with domestic and global market demands.
Bangladesh is nearing the end of its demographic dividend; after 2030 the working-age share will decline. To capitalize, Shamim argued, skill-building must be aligned with a national agenda, SME formalization must be supported, and institutions like FBCCI Business School and FBCCI Entrepreneurship Center must directly link industry with training and entrepreneurship.
Experts said, in today’s global economy, intellectual capital is more important than material wealth. Thus, Bangladesh must focus on building knowledge-based manpower across every sector. Accelerating the digital economy requires skilled human resources and improved infrastructure.
Countries rich in knowledge-based resources lead in agriculture, industry, trade, and services. For instance, the US economy derives 37pc of its strength from intellectual capital, while China and India are aggressively investing in human resource development. Bangladesh, however, lags behind. Experts stress the need to modernize the education system to make it science-driven and market-relevant.
Currently, nearly 90pc of Bangladesh’s human resources depend on manual labor. Transforming them into knowledge workers is key for genuine sustainable growth. Experts emphasize overhauling education-from primary to higher levels-with productivity as the core goal. Although higher education rates are rising, creativity and innovation remain disconnected, limiting the supply of truly skilled manpower.
Bangladesh’s digital transformation faces major obstacles: lack of workforce trained for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, outdated curricula, limited technical training, insufficient job opportunities, and bureaucratic complexities. To overcome these, specialists recommend: A coordinated public-private approach. A long-term 15-20 year national action plan aligned with global demands. Employment-oriented education. and Formation of a permanent inter-ministerial task force.
Employment generation must be central to growth. SMEs, the country’s largest employment generator, need collateral-free loans and venture capital to expand and create formal jobs. Sectors like IT-enabled services, fintech, and healthcare have vast employment and forex potential. Incentives and compliance with global data security standards can help create high-value jobs, boosting remittance quality.
Since over 10 million Bangladeshis work abroad-mostly as unskilled labor-raising their skills to semi- and skilled levels could raise annual remittances by 20-30pc. A robust pre-migration training framework tailored to specific markets is essential.
Ultimately, experts agree: skill development is not just about numbers, but about quality and inclusivity. Only by building a skilled, productive, and employable workforce-and creating high-value domestic jobs-can Bangladesh transform its population into an asset, achieve sustainable economic growth, and secure its future.
