A five-day visit of fourteen high-level officials from Pakistan’s public and private sector to have practical experience in structural apprenticeships in Bangladesh’s informal sector concluded here on Saturday.
They came here to learn about how the government and industries are working together through the ILO’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Reform Project to structure apprenticeships in Bangladesh’s informal sector, especially in trades such as motorcycle and mobile phone servicing, tailoring and dressmaking.
In South Asia, 80-90 percent of the total labour force is engaged in the informal economy, said an ILO media release.
In Bangladesh, 87 percent of workers hold informal jobs, including wage labourers, self-employed people, unpaid family labourers, and piece-rate workers. Learners are often exploited, as unstructured apprenticeships can continue for years without learners being equipped with any real skills.
The government, non-government and private sector, supported by the ILO, are working to change the predicament state of affairs face by the workforce by introducing structured pathways to learn skills.
“The TVET Reform Project introduces new ways to improve skills through training in the informal sector. We’ve a number of successes since the project began in 2007,” said Arthur Shears, Chief Technical Advisor, TVET Reform Project.
So far, 1000 workforce already turned into skilled workers with the help of
Brac and Unicef, he added.
“What we’ve learned from Bangladesh for Pakistan is development of skills for the working force. We’ve similar training systems, but Pakistan is yet to develop a National Skills Development Policy,” said Nabeela Saeed Kazmi, chairperson, Trade Testing Board of Pakistan.
She said, “One thing that has really stood out for us is to see how industries, non-government and government organisations work together to make the best use of all infrastructures they have to produce green young people into skilled one in the informal sector.”
Nabeela Saeed said, “Bangladesh is also gradually shifting from curriculum-based learning to competency-based learning and we want to set up that in Pakistan. It is also encouraging to see so many women engaged in Bangladesh’s labour force.”
The TVET Reform Project is an initiative of the Government of Bangladesh, assisted by the International Labour Organisation and funded by the European Union. The goal is to ensure Bangladesh’s competitiveness in the global market and reduce poverty by improving the quality of vocational educational and training.
During their visit, the high-level Pakistan officials met the representatives of Bangladesh Technical Education Board, National Skills Development Council, Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training, Directorate of Technical Education, Brac and a number of informal employers and training institutions.
Source: UNBConnect
