After completing a four-year diploma, a young person went to a factory to get a job. Upon arrival, he saw that the machine he would have to work on was something he had never seen in his institution. The employer said, "First, you need to go through training for three to six months." Such experiences were shared by students and recruiters at a recent technical job fair held in Dhaka. This is not an isolated story; it reflects the overall picture of our technical education.
There is no alternative to a skilled workforce to survive in the competitive market after transitioning from a least developed country. The government is aware of this. The budget includes announcements about a smart skill bank, recruitment of thousands of trainers, and the construction of hundreds of new technical institutions. However, skills are not developed through mere announcements and buildings. The question is, where is our technical education stuck?
Where is the crisis?
The first crisis lies in classrooms and workshops. According to media reports, nearly half of the positions for instructors and principals in technical institutions are vacant; the education minister has also acknowledged the shortage of teachers. Many pieces of equipment are of an outdated technology, whereas industries have advanced to modern machines like CNC. The problem is not just in numbers but in competence as well. Many instructors have theoretical knowledge but lack hands-on industry experience. How can someone who isn't proficient in operating machinery themselves adequately train students?
The second crisis is in evaluation. In competency-based training, the role of assessors is crucial. However, most assessors are regular instructors from various institutions. The increasing demand for evaluations in different projects sends them frequently to other institutions, disrupting classes and practical training at their home institutions. The opportunity to get an assessor's certificate through just a one-month course raises questions about the quality of assessment.
The third crisis involves the status and opportunities for diploma holders. Even after completing a four-year diploma post-SSC, they are practically considered equivalent to HSC pass if they go for higher education; appropriate credit waivers for subjects studied in the diploma are not provided, forcing them to study the same subjects again. In the job market, their rank and salary are lower compared to their four-year training. Why would bright students choose a path with limited advancement opportunities? That technical education is still the ‘last option’ for many families is a significant reason for this.
The fourth crisis lies in coordination. About two dozen ministries and agencies are involved in the skills sector. Despite the formation of the National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) for coordination, the dual authority issue with the technical education board remains unresolved. Even the Prime Minister has stated that due to lack of coordination, training and certifications from various ministries cannot play an effective role. The NSDA, operated largely by personnel without technical education or industry experience, runs somewhat bureaucratically.
The fifth crisis involves accountability. Even the percentage of total students in technical education is debated, with figures ranging from 14 per cent, 16 per cent, to 20 per cent. Sequential large projects have been undertaken with foreign loans, increasing the number of trainees, but there's no independent account of how many have obtained sustainable employment.
An international study observed that in a significant skills project, the employment rate shown in government evaluations was likely much higher than the actual rate. Issues with fake certificate syndicates and project irregularities have deepened the crisis of trust. The Technical Education Board has recently issued a show-cause notice to 86 polytechnic and technical institutions that had no student enrollments for three consecutive years.
The consequences are visible in the foreign labour market. Last year, nearly three-quarters of the workers who went abroad were semi-skilled or unskilled. As a result, our workers earn less than their peers from neighbouring countries doing the same job, and the labour market remains mainly confined to the Middle East.
Opportunities are also plentiful
Despite so many crises, doors of opportunity remain open. Demand for skilled workers in caregiving, health technology, construction, and information technology is rising rapidly in Japan, Europe, and the Middle East. Many people working in the informal sector have skills but lack certification. Evaluation shows that income increased for workers who received certificates through recognition of prior learning or RPL programmes. There is also a significant opportunity to increase women's participation in unconventional professions. If a smart skill bank and digital certificate are properly implemented, foreign employers will be able to directly verify and hire skilled workers.
However, time is limited. Analysts suggest that the surplus of young population will start to decline after 2030. If this opportunity is missed, it might not return.
What needs to be done
Firstly, regular industrial attachments need to be made mandatory to enhance the practical skills of trainers, and these skills should be linked to their promotions. Permanent allocations in the revenue budget must be ensured for teachers' positions and equipment rather than relying on projects.
Secondly, assessment must be separated from teaching. A national pool of professional assessors needs to be developed, and limits must be set for working trainers on being involved in assessments outside their institutions.
Thirdly, diploma holders should be allowed credit waivers for subjects studied during their higher education and be given opportunities for direct entry into advanced years. In public and private jobs, their rank and salary structures should reflect their skills appropriately.
Fourthly, the NSDA needs to be equipped with personnel having technical and industry experience. Its officials should be brought under automatic accountability, such as publishing accreditation inspection reports online and re-inspecting based on random selection. A timeframe should be set for amending laws to remove dual authority with the technical education board.
Fifthly, project success should be measured not by the number of trainees but by their employment and income. Independent third parties should verify and publish the outcomes of each project, and complaints of irregularities must be impartially investigated.
Sixthly, industries should be made partners in curriculum development and training, and international standard certification must be ensured in emerging sectors.
The perception towards technical education will change only when real skills back the certificate, and those skills provide the youth with good jobs, respectable income, and open doors to higher education. For the country, what is needed is not a mountain of certificates but a lineup of skilled hands.
#Enayet H Zakaria is a development practitioner and public policy analyst.
*Email: mehjakaria@gmail. com
#This article, originally published in Prothom Alo online edition, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam