Despite the proliferation of technical educational institutions, a glaring issue persists—failure to cater to industrial employment demands, primarily due to inadequate quality standards and modern educational approaches.
This discrepancy, coupled with the misalignment between the Bangladesh national qualification framework and prevailing wage standards, has garnered attention from experts.
This concern was raised at a seminar titled "The Role of the Technical Education Sector in the Development of the SME Sector." The SME Foundation and the German development organisation Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh, jointly organised the event in Dhaka on Monday.
Proposals for the enhancement of communication between industrial and technical educational institutions through apprenticeship methodologies were offered as a potential solution.
Experts emphasised that the growth of the SME sector necessitates a skilled workforce adept in advanced production techniques, innovation, and technology.
Multiple impediments to achieving this goal were highlighted, including the uniformity of technical education programmes, which may not effectively address industrial needs; a dearth of qualified instructors; inadequate infrastructure for high-quality training and education; outdated technology within technical education institutions; limited interaction between the industrial and technical education sectors; subpar women's participation rates; and an overarching lack of dialogue between these two pivotal sectors.
As the guest of honour for the event, State Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel reaffirmed the government's unwavering commitment to resolving these pressing issues.
Dr Muhammad Shariat Ullah, chairman of the Department of Organisation Strategy and Leadership at Dhaka University, presented the keynote paper during the seminar. He shared that the country currently boasts 11,160 technical education institutes, offering a range of courses spanning from 3 months to 4 years.
However, data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) for the fiscal year 2021 indicates that 70 per cent of Bangladeshis migrating abroad are categorised as general workers, over 5 per cent engage in construction work, and the remaining 25 per cent belong to various professions.
Highlighting the need for improved communication between SME industries and technical education institutions, Professor Dr Md Masudur Rahman, chairperson of SME Foundation, emphasised that this collaborative approach is crucial for addressing the identified challenges.
Felix Kolbitz, representative of FES Bangladesh; Nasreen Afroz, executive chairman (Secretary) of the National Skill Development Authority (NSDA); Dr Md Sirajul Islam, additional secretary of the Technical and Madrasa Education Department, and Uzma Chowdhury, director of PRAN-RFL Group also spoke at the event among others.
