Educationists and officials laid emphasis on intensifying efforts to expand skilled enhancement programmes to develop competent workforce in the country. According to a report of this newspaper on Sunday, the government has set a target of 30 per cent enrolment in technical education by 2030 aiming to transform Bangladesh into an economically developed country. Skilled manpower refers to the person who is trained, well-educated, energetic, experienced, devoted to their field and is capable of doing any specific work in a balanced and efficient manner. It carries out the development work properly by utilising the available means and resources in an effective way to fulfil the needs of the country.

Only skilled persons can free the country from the curse of unemployment and contribute immensely to the economic development.  Skilled persons usually do not face problems in getting jobs in their native country for survival. In fact, they are assets for the country. There are skilled individuals who do not care much about being employed; rather, they create employments for themselves and others.  These people have great demand in their native land as well as in the global job markets.

Over the years, hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis went to different countries, particularly in the Middle Eastern countries, to change their lot. But all of them are not skilled workers. Those who went abroad without equipping themselves with the requisite skills are doing menial jobs. Since they have no bargaining power, they have to accept whatever jobs are offered to them. They have no job security and are at the mercy of their employers.

In recent years, remittance from migrant workers became a driving force of the Bangladesh economy.  But this could have increased further had migrants with due skills in increasing numbers been engaged in jobs befitting them. Many Bangladeshi workers are confronted with job insecurity due to lack of basic education and vocational skills. Many were shown the door. Many returned to their homes utterly pauperised. Even at home, their lack of relevant skills and a mismatch between supply and demand leads to very poor employability and lower wages for them.  

Taking all these into consideration, emphasis should be given on making the country’s technical and vocational training institutions need-oriented and effective for generating more competent work force to meet the growing national needs. There are polytechnic institutes and vocational training centres in different districts of the country. More such institutes and centres should be set up to provide the burgeoning number of people with skills.