Turn youths into skilled workforce syncing with changing world

Bangladesh risks falling behind in the global market if it fails to create a skilled young workforce through proper utilisation of their energy for innovation, said speakers at a conference yesterday.

The conditions must be created and the national policy be amended to ensure youth’s contribution to social change and development of the country and the world, they said.

The “National Youth Conference 2019” themed “Young People Leading Transformation” was organised by the ActionAid Bangladesh at the Bangla Academy in Dhaka, according to a press release.

Speaking at the event, Md Zahid Ahsan Russel, state minister for youth and sports, said youths were turning into entrepreneurs even in villages and entering the job market with skills, all for the government’s efforts towards their development.

However, the training programmes need to be more in line with present realities as the world was moving fast on the back of technological advancement. Youths need to prepare themselves so that Bangladesh could match other countries’ pace of development, he said.

Bangladesh will lag behind in the fourth industrial revolution if youths do not turn themselves into a skilled workforce, said Russel.

Aktar Uddin, country coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers, said youths must also be recognised and honoured for their contributions and Bangladesh should develop a national policy delineating how youths can effectively aid its development.

Joya Chakma, a Fifa referee and coach of the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan, said youths irrespective of their gender must be empowered to build a society without discrimination.

Selim Raihan, a professor at the economics department at the University of Dhaka, called for increasing allocation for technical education and healthcare apart from institutional education for youths.

ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir and Department of Youth Development Director AN Ahammed Ali also spoke.