Youth urged to align careers with national interests

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has urged the country’s youth to align their skill development and career goals with national interests, stressing the need to expand employment opportunities alongside individual success.

Bangladesh must prepare its young people not only for existing jobs but also to create new employment opportunities and strengthen the economy, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said on Thursday.

He made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of a job fair titled “From Skill to Opportunity” at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.

Swapon said young people should ensure that their career ambitions contribute to the country’s wider interests and economic potential.

“The youth should remain conscious of ensuring that their career goals are aligned with national interests. Otherwise, even if individual success is achieved, it may not contribute to the welfare of the state,” he said.

The job fair was organised by private organisation Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO), with support from ChorogUsan for Children, formerly known as ChildFund Korea or the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation, and Educo.

The minister said simply training people for jobs that already exist would not be enough to address the country’s employment needs.

Creating new jobs and expanding the employment market, he said, were equally important and depended largely on the economy, industrial policy and state structure.

He urged young people to develop skills while also gaining a broader understanding of the country’s economic situation. Referring to the development of Bangladesh’s garment industry, Swapon cited the policy support provided during the tenure of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman as an example of how state policy could influence the wider economy.

He said technology and knowledge were brought from South Korea during that period and Bangladesh’s workforce was linked with the garment industry.

The foundation of the garment sector was subsequently strengthened through measures including entrepreneurs’ training, back-to-back letters of credit and bank loans, he said.

Appropriate policy support from a statesman could therefore have a positive impact on the entire economy, Swapon added.

He also pointed to emerging technologies and changing demands in international markets, saying Bangladesh could not depend solely on conventional employment opportunities to meet the needs of its large population within its limited geographical area.

“Keeping national interests in mind, we need to develop young people as responsible citizens while creating new avenues in industry, technology and production,” he said.

Swapon urged the organisers and the National Skills Development Authority to include knowledge of ethics, philosophy and current economic realities in training curricula for young people.

He said such a broader approach would help ensure that skill development was connected with both individual career opportunities and the country’s economic needs.

Educo Bangladesh Country Director Abdul Hamid chaired the programme.

Executive Chairman of the National Skills Development Authority Dr Nazneen K. Chowdhury and Executive Director of ESDO Dr Md Shahid Uz Zaman also spoke at the event.