Shortage of skilled workforce

As an integral part of the government's Vision 2021, the concept of Digital Bangladesh reinforces Bangladesh's aspirations of becoming a prosperous, middle-income country by its 50th year of independence. However, as Bangladesh continues to grow in various sectors of the economy, a shortage of skilled workforce remains one of the biggest challenges facing the country today.

One of the key points behind Digital Bangladesh is the development of human resources apt for the 21st century. But lack of infrastructure for grooming skilled workers and glaring gaps between what students learn at educational and vocational institutions and the skills required by modern industries has resulted in a significant portion of the workforce devoid of the skills needed to survive in the job market.

A representative of one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies has pointed out that a conducive regulatory environment in Bangladesh is also vital to drive digital growth. Bangladesh's burgeoning population makes it a lucrative market for mobile services by international companies. A rising population also means an increasing workforce projected to be at 120 million two decades from now. Without a robust skilled workforce and an open environment for free, affordable internet, Bangladesh will fall far behind in the digitalised global atmosphere of cut-throat competition.

The government must work towards incentivising private companies in order to provide employees with in-house and external training. Educational institutions must also adopt competency-based training programmes to arm graduates with the necessary skills. The acute shortage of skilled workers in the country must be prioritised in the formation of national policies for Vision 2021 to materialise.