DHAKA : Policymakers and stakeholders have called for
restructuring Bangladesh's skills development and overseas employment system to
meet the changing labor market needs of the GCC region.
At the same time, emphasis has been placed on developing
skilled, certified, and internationally employable human resources, moving away
from the traditional manpower export-dependent system.
The call was made at a high-level dialogue titled "Bangladesh-GCC
Workforce & Economic Outlook: Human Capital Opportunities, Trade and
Investment Prospects" organized by ARISE Bangladesh Foundation at Hotel
Sheraton in Dhaka Thursday, said a press release.
Mahdi Amin,
Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office and Advisor (State Minister) of the
Ministry of Education, Primary and Mass Education, Expatriate Welfare and
Overseas Employment, and Labor and Employment, was present as the chief guest
at the event.
The chief guest said in his speech that the government is
giving special importance to diversifying the global employment market and
increasing the participation of Bangladeshi women in the international
competitive labor market.
He emphasized ensuring the necessary policy support to build
an effective and sustainable migration ecosystem as well as more active and
strong participation of the private sector. At the same time, he mentioned
women's participation and economic empowerment in the global labor market as
one of the most important priorities of Bangladesh.
The Vice-Chancellor of the National University, Professor
Dr. A. S. M. Amanullah, was present as a special guest. The speakers in the
dialogue said that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the economic diversification of
the United Arab Emirates, and the long-term development plans of Qatar, Kuwait,
and Oman are creating new employment opportunities in various sectors including
infrastructure, construction, healthcare, tourism, logistics, technology,
renewable energy, and manufacturing in the GCC region.
However, simply sending workers is not enough to take
advantage of these opportunities. Emphasis is placed on coordinating training,
curricula, certification, and recruitment systems based on information about
the type of skills needed in a given country. The dialogue proposed building a
comprehensive "Skills-to-Employment Pipeline":
Market demand, skills forecasting, curriculum, training,
certification, recruitment, employment, etc. In addition, emphasis is placed on
destination-based training, international certification, direct partnerships
between GCC employers and Bangladeshi training institutions, and strengthening
data-based planning for the labor market.
The dialogue called for expanding Bangladesh-GCC relations
beyond just labor migration to include trade, investment, education,
healthcare, logistics, renewable energy, digital services, and
expatriate-related investments.
Presenting the keynote address, Kaniz Fatema, Executive Director of ARISE Bangladesh Foundation, said, "The GCC should not be seen as just a destination for sending workers. It should be seen as a strategic market for our human resources, skills, services, trade and investment. We must first understand the market needs, develop and certify skills accordingly, and directly connect qualified Bangladeshi manpower with global employment opportunities."
