Harnessing youth skills for national progress
Dr. Nasim Ahmed :
A remarkable demographic feature of Bangladesh is its youthful population, with over one-third of the population between the ages of 15 and 35. This significant youth bulge presents a unique opportunity to harness the demographic dividend to accelerate national growth and development. However, reaping this demographic advantage requires a systematic and robust strategy to develop, refine, and utilize the skills of the country’s youth.
Skills in this context refer not only to technical and vocational capabilities but also to cognitive, digital, entrepreneurial, and soft skills necessary for participation in the modern economy. Youth skills development is not merely a workforce issue; it is intrinsically tied to broader national goals, including poverty reduction, industrial growth, social cohesion, and global competitiveness.
The National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) and the National Skills Development Policy 2022 acknowledge the pivotal role of youth skills in socio-economic development. Moreover, international frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 on quality education and SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, underline the global importance of equipping young people with relevant and future-oriented skills.
Despite recent advancements in skills development, Bangladesh continues to face significant challenges. These challenges include a disconnect between education and labor market needs, insufficient training infrastructure, underemployment, gender inequality, and regional disparities. A large number of Bangladeshi youth remain unemployed or underemployed, not because of a lack of potential, but due to inadequate skills and limited access to training and employment opportunities.
The global economy is being reshaped by rapid technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and digital transformation. These trends require not only traditional skills but also a focus on digital literacy, adaptability, problem-solving, and innovation. In this context, fostering a resilient and skilled youth population is no longer optional; it has become an urgent national imperative.
The rise of green technology, renewable energy, and the circular economy presents new employment frontiers. With appropriate green skills training, such as solar panel installation, waste management, and climate-smart agriculture, Bangladeshi youth can contribute to sustainable development and environmental conservation.
Youth-driven entrepreneurship is on the rise in Bangladesh. Platforms like Startup Bangladesh, GP Accelerator, and BRAC’s Youth Platform are already fostering innovation. Furthermore, the global trend of social entrepreneurship creates an opportunity for young people to develop impact-driven ventures in health, education, agriculture, and financial inclusion.
Remittance remains a key pillar of Bangladesh’s economy. With rising global demand for skilled labor in healthcare, construction, caregiving, IT, and shipbuilding, Bangladeshi youth can benefit significantly, provided they acquire internationally recognized skills and certifications.
To realize these prospects, a comprehensive, inclusive, and data-driven approach is required. The following strategic recommendations aim to address the current limitations and build a resilient and future-ready youth skills ecosystem:
1. Strengthen the education and training system and quality assurance: (a) Modernize curricula to align with Industry 4.0 and meet the needs of emerging markets. (b) Accredit and regulate training providers using a standardized quality assurance framework from the NSDA. (c) Integrate soft skills and digital literacy into all vocational and technical education.
2. Institutionalize industry engagement: (a) Establish Sector Skill Councils for each major economic sector to offer guidance on skills demand, curriculum design, and certification. (b) Strengthen public-private partnerships to fund training centers, apprenticeships, and innovation hubs. (c) Promote dual education models that combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training.
3. Expand access and inclusion: (a) Increase investment in rural and disadvantaged areas to establish modern training centers. (b) Offer gender-responsive training alongside stipends, transportation support, and safe learning environments. (c) Launch targeted campaigns to raise awareness of skills training options in marginalized communities.
4. Promote lifelong learning and digital platforms: (a) Develop a national digital learning platform that provides flexible, modular, and certified courses in multiple languages. (b) Encourage micro-credentials and modular learning pathways that correspond with job requirements. (c) Partner with global e-learning providers (e.g., Coursera, edX, Google) to offer high-quality content from around the world.
5. Enhance career guidance and labor market information: (a) Institutionalize career counseling in secondary and tertiary education institutions. (b) Develop a real-time labor market information system to track demand trends, inform training programs, and guide youth choices. (c) Support job matching platforms and career expos to connect youth with employers.
6. Enhance support for entrepreneurship and innovation: (a) Increase access to startup financing through youth venture funds, subsidized loans, and credit guarantees. (b) Establish incubators and co-working spaces in every district to foster youth enterprises. (c) Promote youth cooperatives and producer groups, especially in agriculture and cottage industries.
7. Promote international mobility and recognition: (a) Align training programs with international certification frameworks to facilitate migration and overseas employment. (b) Establish mutual recognition agreements with labor-receiving countries for skills verification. (c) Prepare youth for the language proficiency and cultural orientation necessary for global jobs.
8. Invest in monitoring, evaluation, and governance: (a) Create a centralized national skills data portal that includes disaggregated data on training providers, outcomes, and labor trends. (b) Enhance inter-ministerial coordination in education, labor, finance, and industry. (c) Ensure sufficient budget allocation for youth skills, aiming for at least 20% of the combined education and labor budgets.
Skills development is not a siloes issue related to education or employment; it acts as a cross-cutting enabler of Bangladesh’s development agenda, encompassing the goals of Vision 2041 and the SDGs. If harnessed wisely and equitably, the youth can become the architects of a prosperous, innovative, and globally respected nation. To realize the full potential of its youth, Bangladesh must adopt a strategic, systemic, and forward-looking approach to skills development.
(Dr. Nasim Ahmed holds a PhD in Public Policy from Ulster University in the UK and is currently working as Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh).