Technical Education

Today, technical education has become quite popular among the youth. This type of education that focuses on engineering, applied sciences and modern technologies, allows students to learn from textbooks and gather real-life practical knowledge at the same time. We all know the demand for skilled human resources is increasing all over the world at a rapid speed. Nowadays, youths with a technical education background are finding better job opportunities and contributing to the society in a positive manner.  

Ziaul Haque, 23, recently completed his diploma in mechanical engineering from Shyamoli Ideal Polytechnic Institute. “When I first informed my family that I prefer technical education, they were very upset. They had a wrong notion _ like many others _ that technical education can’t lead to a respectful job or career,” he said. “Having completed my diploma, I am now planning to go to Germany. I attended some job interviews just to gain experience and I was selected every time. Thus, my family has come to understand the potential of technical education.”   

Realising the necessity and popularity of technical education, the government is putting more emphasis on expanding this field. In Bangladesh, there are many institutions that offer technical courses for youths. According to the official website of the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), there are four engineering colleges, 49 polytechnic institutes, 64 technical schools and colleges, and one technical teachers’ training college, in our country. The directorate, under the Ministry of Education, supervises all these institutions, which offer courses like bachelor’s degrees, diplomas and other types of certificates.

After completing their HSC (higher secondary certificate) Vocational, many students apply for diploma engineering. The admission process for polytechnics is now done online.

M Jakir, a former student of Bangladesh Sweden Polytechnic Institute at Kaptai in Rangamati, said: “I wanted to study in this institute and I was lucky enough to get that opportunity. My house was only 10 miles (16km) away from the institute. Today, I am working as a sub-assistant engineer for Dhaka Power Distribution Company. I am glad I opted for technical education. I believe the online admission process is fair, but I think the residential facilities could be upgraded, as many students transfer to other institutions due to poor accommodation.”

Bangladesh Sweden Polytechnic Institute, popularly called ‘Swedish’, started its journey in 1963 with assistance from the Swedish government. Ashutosh Nath, principal of the institute, informed Y&I over the phone: “We offer four-year (8 semesters) diploma in engineering courses. We have 1,670 students in our six departments (automobile, civil-wood, computer, construction, electrical and mechanical engineering). Students from any academic background can apply to any polytechnic in our country. Earlier, we were allowed to admit students even if they did not pass their SSC (secondary school certificate) exams. Now that rule has changed and interested students must have a minimum GPA 3.5 in their SSC. Also, they must apply within two years of passing their SSC exams.”

“We have two separate dormitories for male and female students. There are places for 255 students _ 200 for boys and 55 for girls. About 10 percent of ours students are female and the exciting news is many girls are now showing interest in technical education.”

“I have been working in this sector for 23 years and I have not come across any of my students who are not working. Most of our students get jobs immediately after getting their diplomas. A few days ago, a big Indian company approached us to hire some of our students. They collected many CVs from us and I am hopeful they will hire many of them. This goes to show the demand for skilled manpower. Today, both at home and abroad, students with technical education are doing quite well, career-wise. After completing their diploma courses, our students are doing master’s degrees and PhD from BUET and DUET,” added Nath.  

Students of technical schools and colleges, from class 9-10, can sit for SSC Vocational exams. Likewise, students of class 11-12 can take part in HSC Vocational.

M Abdul Majid, principal of Bandarban Technical School and College, said: “In order to take admission at technical schools and colleges, students must have a Junior School Certificate (JSC) or Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC). The admission process for school students is carried out by us, while that of HSC Vocational courses are done online. We offer courses like electrical work and maintenance, refrigeration and air conditioning, electrical control and communication, and clothing and garments. We also have a short course on tour guiding. It’s a 360-hour course.”

“There are 520 students in our institution at the moment. The tuition fee for a year is about Taka 1,000. We have an accommodation facility for students, but it is simply not good enough. We need better dormitories, especially for the girls,” Majid added.

Besides a number of government technical institutions, there are many private ones that offer different courses.

UCEP Institute of Science and Technology (UIST) Dhaka provides training and diploma programmes for youths. M Obaidul, 17, a student of electrical technology at UCEP, said: “I chose to study in this field because I feel it has more job potential. Here, any student with a GPA 2 can take admission and the tuition fee is very much affordable. UCEP offers programmes like SSC Vocational course and a 4-year diploma in engineering.”

Zahid Hassan Khan, 27, who works as a software engineer at an IT firm, did a course on object-oriented programming PHP from BASIS Institute of Technology and Management (BITM). “I paid Taka 9,000 for the course and I have to say, it did help me a lot. It was a three-month course and I got to learn many new things. To participate in the courses offered by BITM, one needs to have some sort of basic idea about the subject he or she wants to study,” he said.

Talukder Shabbir, chief coordinator, BASIS Institute of Technology and Management, told Y&I: “BITM is running two programmes at the moment. Under our Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP), we are offering 13 courses for free. Normally, graduate students who are not working apply for these courses. The courses are: web design, graphics and web UI design, digital marketing, web application development – PHP and dot net, practical SEO, mobile application development (Android), server administration and cloud management, IT support - technical, affiliate marketing, customer support and service, IT sales management, and English and business communication. Only for English and business communication, working youths can apply. So far, we have trained 23,000 students. Those who take part in these courses, which aret for three months, get a monthly stipend of Taka 3,120.”

“About 55 percent of our students have found jobs after completing these courses. We also help the students with career counseling, and we even set up job interviews for some of them. We also have some paid courses. Under the Collaborative Training Programme, we offer 13 courses. The fees differ from one course to another. At the moment, we are operating in Dhaka and Chittagong, but we have plans to spread our branches throughout the country,” added Shabbir.

Mohammed Asaduzzaman Chowdhury, a professor at Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology (DUET) in Gazipur, said: “All the public engineering universities of our country offer BSC, masters and PhD programmes for students from technical education background. Interested students should have a diploma before they can apply for a BSC programme at DUET. We are very pleased to say that a large number of our students are continuing their education, and even doing their PhD and post-doctorate research, in developed countries like Japan, Malaysia, USA, Australia, Canada, England, Sweden and Germany. At DUET, as well as at other universities, departments like food engineering and electronics have been introduced. We are also planning to start new departments like agriculture engineering and software engineering. In Bangladesh, we are now building IT parks and industrial zones; we need skilled human resources to work there and in many other sectors.”

Asad Uz Zaman, policy specialist, Access to Information (a2i) Programme, informed Y&I via email: “Among two million youths are joining the workforce every year. About 600,000 of them are from mainstream education backgrounds, while 1.1 million are trained from government or private skills development agencies. Although interest in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is growing, is it catering to the skills demand of the industry?  From a pragmatic viewpoint _ it is not. Owing to the huge communication and coordination gap between employers and skills development agencies, mainstream education and training institutions are failing to produce a skilled labour force to meet the demands of local and international job markets. Focussing on unemployed youths, from 2017 to till date, a2i successfully completed skills development of 80,000 plus youths and ensured decent jobs (self and wage) for them.”

Its few flagship programmes are: apprenticeship programme, which is a 6-month on-the-job and off-the-job training programme designed to give the trainee a holistic exposure to a real workplace; sectoral skills development programme and skills development programme for disadvantaged communities, including women and girls, the disabled, ethnic minorities, madrassah students, etc. The duration of these programmes varies from 3 to 6 months, and upon completion, trainees receive certification under National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF), Zaman added.

“Alongside improving current situation, a2i has its eye set on future skills. Owing to industrial automation, a fourth industrial revolution is approaching. To prepare Bangladesh for the future job market, a2i is designing future skills set requirement. Jobs for bakers and pastry-makers, food mixers, sewing machine operators and helpers, carpenters, lacquer polishers, leather cutters, etc, are on the brink of extinction due to industrial automation. Now, a2i is focussing on skills development of trades that are going to replace existing ones like modelling and simulation, 3D printing, data analytics, system integration, internet of things, cyber security, advance robotics developer, etc,” Zaman said in his email.   

Meanwhile, when Y&I contacted the Directorate of Technical Education for further information about technical education, they could not be reached.

Photos: Courtesy, File.

Technical Education

Today, technical education has become quite popular among the youth. This type of education that focuses on engineering, applied sciences and modern technologies, allows students to learn from textbooks and gather real-life practical knowledge at the same time. We all know the demand for skilled human resources is increasing all over the world at a rapid speed. Nowadays, youths with a technical education background are finding better job opportunities and contributing to the society in a positive manner. Ziaul Haque, 23, recently completed his diploma in mechanical engineering from Shyamoli Ideal Polytechnic Institute. When I first informed my family that I prefer technical education, they were very upset. They had a wrong notion _ like many others _ that technical education cant lead to a respectful job or career, he said. Having completed my diploma, I am now planning to go to Germany. I attended some job interviews just to gain experience and I was selected every time. Thus, my family has come to understand the potential of technical education. Realising the necessity and popularity of technical education, the government is putting more emphasis on expanding this field. In Bangladesh, there are many institutions that offer technical courses for youths. According to the official website of the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), there are four engineering colleges, 49 polytechnic institutes, 64 technical schools and colleges, and one technical teachers training college, in our country. The directorate, under the Ministry of Education, supervises all these institutions, which offer courses like bachelors degrees, diplomas and other types of certificates. After completing their HSC (higher secondary certificate) Vocational, many students apply for diploma engineering. The admission process for polytechnics is now done online. M Jakir, a former student of Bangladesh Sweden Polytechnic Institute at Kaptai in Rangamati, said: I wanted to study in this institute and I was lucky enough to get that opportunity. My house was only 10 miles (16km) away from the institute. Today, I am working as a sub-assistant engineer for Dhaka Power Distribution Company. I am glad I opted for technical education. I believe the online admission process is fair, but I think the residential facilities could be upgraded, as many students transfer to other institutions due to poor accommodation. Bangladesh Sweden Polytechnic Institute, popularly called Swedish, started its journey in 1963 with assistance from the Swedish government. Ashutosh Nath, principal of the institute, informed YI over the phone: We offer four-year (8 semesters) diploma in engineering courses. We have 1,670 students in our six departments (automobile, civil-wood, computer, construction, electrical and mechanical engineering). Students from any academic background can apply to any polytechnic in our country. Earlier, we were allowed to admit students even if they did not pass their SSC (secondary school certificate) exams. Now that rule has changed and interested students must have a minimum GPA 3.5 in their SSC. Also, they must apply within two years of passing their SSC exams. We have two separate dormitories for male and female students. There are places for 255 students _ 200 for boys and 55 for girls. About 10 percent of ours students are female and the exciting news is many girls are now showing interest in technical education. I have been working in this sector for 23 years and I have not come across any of my students who are not working. Most of our students get jobs immediately after getting their diplomas. A few days ago, a big Indian company approached us to hire some of our students. They collected many CVs from us and I am hopeful they will hire many of them. This goes to show the demand for skilled manpower. Today, both at home and abroad, students with technical education are doing quite well, career-wise. After completing their diploma courses, our students are doing masters degrees and PhD from BUET and DUET, added Nath. Students of technical schools and colleges, from class 9-10, can sit for SSC Vocational exams. Likewise, students of class 11-12 can take part in HSC Vocational. M Abdul Majid, principal of Bandarban Technical School and College, said: In order to take admission at technical schools and colleges, students must have a Junior School Certificate (JSC) or Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC). The admission process for school students is carried out by us, while that of HSC Vocational courses are done online. We offer courses like electrical work and maintenance, refrigeration and air conditioning, electrical control and communication, and clothing and garments. We also have a short course on tour guiding. Its a 360-hour course. There are 520 students in our institution at the moment. The tuition fee for a year is about Taka 1,000. We have an accommodation facility for students, but it is simply not good enough. We need better dormitories, especially for the girls, Majid added. Besides a number of government technical institutions, there are many private ones that offer different courses. UCEP Institute of Science and Technology (UIST) Dhaka provides training and diploma programmes for youths. M Obaidul, 17, a student of electrical technology at UCEP, said: I chose to study in this field because I feel it has more job potential. Here, any student with a GPA 2 can take admission and the tuition fee is very much affordable. UCEP offers programmes like SSC Vocational course and a 4-year diploma in engineering. Zahid Hassan Khan, 27, who works as a software engineer at an IT firm, did a course on object-oriented programming PHP from BASIS Institute of Technology and Management (BITM). I paid Taka 9,000 for the course and I have to say, it did help me a lot. It was a three-month course and I got to learn many new things. To participate in the courses offered by BITM, one needs to have some sort of basic idea about the subject he or she wants to study, he said. Talukder Shabbir, chief coordinator, BASIS Institute of Technology and Management, told YI: BITM is running two programmes at the moment. Under our Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP), we are offering 13 courses for free. Normally, graduate students who are not working apply for these courses. The courses are: web design, graphics and web UI design, digital marketing, web application development PHP and dot net, practical SEO, mobile application development (Android), server administration and cloud management, IT support - technical, affiliate marketing, customer support and service, IT sales management, and English and business communication. Only for English and business communication, working youths can apply. So far, we have trained 23,000 students. Those who take part in these courses, which aret for three months, get a monthly stipend of Taka 3,120. About 55 percent of our students have found jobs after completing these courses. We also help the students with career counseling, and we even set up job interviews for some of them. We also have some paid courses. Under the Collaborative Training Programme, we offer 13 courses. The fees differ from one course to another. At the moment, we are operating in Dhaka and Chittagong, but we have plans to spread our branches throughout the country, added Shabbir. Mohammed Asaduzzaman Chowdhury, a professor at Dhaka University of Engineering Technology (DUET) in Gazipur, said: All the public engineering universities of our country offer BSC, masters and PhD programmes for students from technical education background. Interested students should have a diploma before they can apply for a BSC programme at DUET. We are very pleased to say that a large number of our students are continuing their education, and even doing their PhD and post-doctorate research, in developed countries like Japan, Malaysia, USA, Australia, Canada, England, Sweden and Germany. At DUET, as well as at other universities, departments like food engineering and electronics have been introduced. We are also planning to start new departments like agriculture engineering and software engineering. In Bangladesh, we are now building IT parks and industrial zones; we need skilled human resources to work there and in many other sectors. Asad Uz Zaman, policy specialist, Access to Information (a2i) Programme, informed YI via email: Among two million youths are joining the workforce every year. About 600,000 of them are from mainstream education backgrounds, while 1.1 million are trained from government or private skills development agencies. Although interest in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is growing, is it catering to the skills demand of the industry? From a pragmatic viewpoint _ it is not. Owing to the huge communication and coordination gap between employers and skills development agencies, mainstream education and training institutions are failing to produce a skilled labour force to meet the demands of local and international job markets. Focussing on unemployed youths, from 2017 to till date, a2i successfully completed skills development of 80,000 plus youths and ensured decent jobs (self and wage) for them. Its few flagship programmes are: apprenticeship programme, which is a 6-month on-the-job and off-the-job training programme designed to give the trainee a holistic exposure to a real workplace; sectoral skills development programme and skills development programme for disadvantaged communities, including women and girls, the disabled, ethnic minorities, madrassah students, etc. The duration of these programmes varies from 3 to 6 months, and upon completion, trainees receive certification under National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF), Zaman added. Alongside improving current situation, a2i has its eye set on future skills. Owing to industrial automation, a fourth industrial revolution is approaching. To prepare Bangladesh for the future job market, a2i is designing future skills set requirement. Jobs for bakers and pastry-makers, food mixers, sewing machine operators and helpers, carpenters, lacquer polishers, leather cutters, etc, are on the brink of extinction due to industrial automation. Now, a2i is focussing on skills development of trades that are going to replace existing ones like modelling and simulation, 3D printing, data analytics, system integration, internet of things, cyber security, advance robotics developer, etc, Zaman said in his email. Meanwhile, when YI contacted the Directorate of Technical Education for further information about technical education, they could not be reached. Photos: Courtesy, File.