Skills, not certificates, needed to meet job market demands

The flaws in the conventional education system are contributing to rising unemployment among educated youth, and it is time to place greater emphasis on technical education, as hands-on skills are now more valuable than university degrees, said speakers at an event yesterday.

They shared these views at a conference titled "Youth Perspectives on Reform: Employment and Technology", organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center in the capital's Agargaon.

"In our country, the least educated and least privileged are pushed into work or sent off as child labourers. They often end up in mechanical shops or similar jobs. We need to rethink our approach. Not everyone needs to go to a university," said Labour and Employment Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain.

He said even those with a Master's degree often lack the necessary skills. "But if you are technically skilled, that is what the world needs today," he added.

Stating that the biggest problem in the country is educated unemployment, the adviser said, "After graduation, everyone wants a job -- ideally a government one -- because of the many perks. No matter the salary, the benefits are attractive."

He added, "This trend has developed over the years. If something costs Tk 100, another Tk 200 is added on top, which then gets shared among people. This has been my observation over the past 10–11 months."

The adviser further said many Bangladeshis are willing to drive taxis or work in restaurants abroad, but not at home due to social taboos.

On the issue of research, he said, "You won't get this kind of thinking from government employees because our mindset is 9-to-5. After 5 o'clock, we're done. We move files all day but don't do real research."

He stressed the need for universities to take on research roles. "Let the intellectuals do the research. You can't do both a job and proper research at the same time. Government and private universities can take part in research. How to utilise the youth -- that itself is a topic for research."

Presiding over the event, CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun said the current education system is failing to meet labour market demands.

"Higher education and university-level learning have little practical use, and the market has no real demand for them. This is leading to a rise in educated unemployment. The more educated someone is, the more likely they are to be unemployed -- mainly because many don't want to accept just any job," she said.

She also pointed to the widespread obsession with government jobs, especially the BCS, as a factor.

"Instead of chasing conventional, comfortable jobs, the youth need to embrace alternative career paths," she added.

AKM Fahim Mashroor, CEO of bdjobs.com, said the main issue is not just unemployment but a mismatch between what graduates are trained for and what the economy needs.

"In the last 10–15 years, the number of graduates entering the job market has tripled, but the economy can't absorb them," he said.

"We're sending low-skilled workers abroad while failing to export surplus graduates who could take on higher-value roles in caregiving, hospitality, and communications-based sectors," he added.

Mashroor called for skilled migration and overseas graduate employment to be treated as national priorities, backed by financing and training.

Sadia Haque, CEO and co-founder of ShareTrip Limited, said informal job sectors like freelancing must be formalised to properly reflect youth engagement and job creation in national policies.

Syed Nasim Manzoor, managing director of Apex Footwear Limited, said the youth must be willing to step out of their comfort zones and consider careers in manufacturing and applied skills instead of only white-collar jobs.

He said Bangladesh should shift from certificate-based education to skills-based learning, particularly in industrial design, visual merchandising, and sustainability.

Alif Rudaba, additional secretary of the National Skills Development Authority, and Shahir Chowdhury, founder and CEO of Shikho, also spoke at the event.