5th academia industry nexus session tackles job matching challenges
Business Reporter :
Reed Consultancy Bangladesh, in partnership with Higher Education & Leadership Development for Sustainable Textiles in Bangladesh (HELD), GIZ Bangladesh, hosted the 5th Academia-Industry Nexus session titled “Thinking Out of the Matchbox – Job Matching for the Bangladeshi Youth” held at Six Seasons Hotel in Dhaka, the event brought together academicians, industry leaders, government officials, and students to address the pressing issue of job matching for young professionals in Bangladesh.
The session opened with remarks from Laura Sophie Schnieders, Advisor for HELD, following participant registration. She highlighted the importance of academia-industry collaboration to improve job matching and career pathways for Bangladeshi youth.
Trainer and coach Ashik Sarwar delivered a keynote speech that addressed critical challenges in Bangladesh’s job market, particularly focusing on three key mismatches: skills, information, and network.
He underscored the role of government, industry, and academic institutions in working together to bridge these gaps and enhance job matching for new graduates.
His presentation included important statistics and insights into the current job market dynamics and how collaboration among stakeholders can alleviate these mismatches.
A panel discussion was organized afterwards where panelists were Dr. Eng. Ahmed Tanvir Anam, AGM, OD and Academic Collaboration, Corporate HR, DBL Group; Iffat Ara Ananya, Lecturer, Chair for Sustainability and Textile Innovation, Department of Textile Engineering, AUST; Mrittunjoy Kumar Mohanta, Assistant Director, Department of Textile; Ashfi Mosfiq, Senior Executive, Strategic HR, Urmi Group and Md. Ashiqur Rahaman, 3rd year Student, Department of Dyes and Chemical Engineering, BUTEX.
The panelists discussed gap reduction in the supply and demand of the job market, issues regarding job interview and job offer mismatch, developing and matching the required qualifications, improvisation of academic curriculum and prospects of job matching in Bangladesh.
Dr. Mohammad Abbas Uddin Shiyak, a Chartered Fellow of the Textile Institute and faculty member at the Bangladesh University of Textiles, summarized the probable outcomes of the session.
His summary emphasized the role of networking and collaboration in achieving better job matching outcomes and the steps needed to foster these connections.