Experts stress apprenticeship scopes to create skilled workers

Human resource experts have called for creating more apprenticeship opportunities in different sectors as the lack of it has become a profound concern for the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Bangladesh.

"Apprenticeships should be emphasised to produce skilled workers. Business organisations should come forward in recruiting apprentices. Besides, the government should create a model for this system at the national level," said Dr Muhammad Shariat Ullah, chairman of the Organisation Strategy and Leadership Department at Dhaka University, on Monday at a seminar.

About 11,160 technical and vocational education and training centres in Bangladesh – 90% of which is under private management – offer three to four month-long courses, but still the demand of skilled workers for local and international markets cannot be met due to a lack of quality education, said Dr Muhammad Shariat Ullah at the programme titled "An analysis of TVET and Apprenticeship in Bangladesh: Role of Key Stakeholders", organised by the ‍SME Foundation and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, a non-profit German organisation.

Dr Muhammad Shariat Ullah listed 10 reasons for the country's technical education institutions' failure to meet the needs of domestic industries, which include: providing training in the same subjects repeatedly without considering the industries' needs, lack of apprenticeship system, lack of social recognition for apprentices, shortage of qualified trainers, lack of adequate infrastructure for quality training and education, and using outdated technologies in technical education institutions.

At the seminar, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel said, "None of us want to get out of the traditional education system. Currently, about 60 lakh students are participating in honours and masters programmes in general subjects. If these students can be given apprenticeship opportunities, then the country's demographic dividend can be utilised fully.

He advised the National Skills Development Authority to work sincerely to recognise the apprentices.

SME Foundation Chairperson Md Masudur Rahman said, "Apprentices in Germany are given the same privileges as the regular employees of an organisation. Bangladeshi institutions should provide such facilities too. The government can provide tax incentives to make companies interested in this regard."

Nasreen Afroz, executive chairman of the National Skills Development Authority, said, "We are working to create an ecosystem for the workers' skill development. Besides, creating a draft 'Apprenticeship Policy' is in the final stage."