Unskilled workers dominate BD’s overseas job market

Reza Mahmud :
Bangladesh is earning less remittance considering its potentials as unskilled workers dominate its overseas job market.
Bangladesh earns less remittances sending more manpower abroad comparatively to other countries as it is sending mostly unskilled workers to foreign countries.
As per the World Bank data, Bangladesh earned $22.1 billion in 2021 while the less populated Egypt earned $27.76 billion and the other less populated the Philipines earned $31.4 billion in the same year.
Bangladesh sends several lakh of workers in different countries in order to earn foreign currency exchange of providing manpower to those who have shortages of it.
As per the data, the contribution of remittances to economic development accounts for 12 per cent of total GDP, and Bangladesh is the eighth largest remittance-receiving country.
Sources said that there is a huge demand for skilled and well trained labour in different countries in Europe, Asia and other territories abroad. But the country, as various studies estimate, sends mostly unskilled and semi-skilled workers resulting less foreign currency earning.
The unskilled Bangladeshi migrant workers are not able to find the desired jobs. Moreover, they are subjected to various abuses and exploitation. More skills and training preparation can help them boost their confidence and give them the courage to fight against any human rights violations and abuses.
It is also concerning that when Bangladeshis have the potential to find jobs in over 150 countries in several hundred trades; the country has sent over 87 per cent workers, mostly unskilled, to only several Middle Eastern countries.
Contacted, several leaders of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) told The New Nation that they used to get tired seeking well trained workers to send them as per the demands of different host countries.
They said that the migrant oriented workers also are responsible for going abroad without taking sufficient training to be skilled.
Contacted, Mohammad Abul Basahar, President of BAIRA told The New Nation on Sunday, “Most of our workers have a common attitude to go fast abroad
 ignoring getting any training to be skilled one.”
He said they are unaware that if they take training and get skilled they can earn double money with working less hard job.
“Now the government and the BAIRA have taken joint initiatives to send more skilled workers abroad than the unskilled labours. BAIRA will inaugurate its own modern training center soon,” Abul Bashar said.
The stakeholders said that there are reasons remaining for shortages of skilled and trained manpower in the country.
They said the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) is responsible to facilitate trainings for creating skilled workers.
There are about 72 technical training (TTC) centers including six Institute of Marine Technology across the country.
But most of the training centers are suffering from shortages of instructors as dozens of cases about disputes of appointment of the teachers are in courts.
Those cases created barr to appoint new instructors in those TTC and IMTs, sources said.
As a result the training activities are being obstacles.
When contacted, Imran Ahmed, Minister of the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment told The New Nation, “It is a problem that filing cases to bar appointing new instructors by the several other people. Such activities made the training facilities injured, but we are trying utmost to overcome the matter.”
The Minister said that the government asked for quick actions of those cases so that the new instructors can be appointed soon.
When contacted, Md. Shahidul Alam, Director General of the BMET told The New Nation, “We have asked the public service commission ( PSC) to appoint teachers for our TTCs and IMTs soon.