International Conference on TVET for Sustainable Development’ to create skilled manpower

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the three-day

international conference on ‘Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for Sustainable Development’ held at IDEB premises on Thursday.

The conference was organized by the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) and Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), Manila in association with Education Ministry, GoB, Canada and World Bank.

The government’s strategy is to increase the percentage of technical and vocational education institutes from 8 per cent to 20 per cent by 2020.

‘The government will raise the number of technical educational institutions both in public and private sectors to attain the goal,’ Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) chairmen Dr M Mustafizur Rahman told a press conference in Dhaka recently.

The conference is aimed at improving the number of skilled manpower and building a skill culture.

Representatives from 17 CPSC member countries, including Australia and Canada, will take part in the conference.

At the last session on Thursday they discuss about the topics of ‘Social and professional integration of TVET.’

Presidency University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, former vice-chancellor, Professor  Harunur Rashid spoke about the topic of ‘Social integration of technical and vocational education and training (TVET)’.

He said, ‘TVET can develop skill and knowledge from basic to advanced level for working, further learning and living and for contributing to human, economic, social and environmental aspect of development.

TVET equips people not only with vocational skills, but also with a broad range of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are now recognized as indispensable for meaningful participation in work and lifelong learning.

It thus opens up the window to empower people, encourage social inclusion, participation and right-based development approaches.

It is well understood today that the participation(14-16 years old) in further education with class room focused secondary level curriculum are either doing nothing at all or pursuing courses which offer no route to higher level of quality education or the prospect of meaningful employment. This is an enormous waste and a tragedy for any nation. We need practice based education.

TVET provides a passionate understanding and commitment to the joy of technical accomplishment that are immensely valuable.

Our prosperity depends on building an emerging economy founded on high level technical skills.

To extend individual opportunity and re-balance our economy, it is important to raise expectations of our younger generation and unleash their talent.

The world today, one can safely say, belongs to those young people who choose the vocational route to learning and it must be a highway.

Thus TVET can be embraced and mainstreamed to provide for progression to higher learning and decent employment to transform Bangladesh into a knowledge and skill-based society.’

Public King Khalid University in KSA, Professor Dr Mohammad Golam Sultan Alam, was a presenter on ‘Skill culture and national prosperity.’

He said ‘there is no other alternative to this skill generating culture for the prosperity of a nation. We have to acquire some necessary skills like: skill in permanent solution for pure drinking water issue, disaster management issue and social benefits for refugee sect of people, representative of wild life issues, reduction of control of salinity in the coastal areas etc.

For financial prosperity in favour of the ultimate welfare of the nation we need to build up an atmosphere as supportive to skill generating culture.

By acquiring TVET, skill generating culture can play an active role to make a country self dependent through a methodical and scientific way, besides upgrading the national, financial and social lifestyle.

So Bangladesh must look for drive to help establishing skill generating culture in full.’  

Bangladesh TVET, BSEP project, international advisor Gabriel Bordad spoke about the topic of ‘Re-designing the TVET delivery system-Bangladesh response to social and professional integration of the skilled workers.’

He noticed that ‘TVET is becoming a practical career pathway all over the world, is still a second option for most of the Bangladeshi families.

Most parents would still aim for the university degree for their kids rather than have them earn skills certificates.

The European Union (EU) funded the TVET reform project to change the mindset of the people.

TVET is now the first choice for education. It is no longer an option! There is a career for everybody in the TVET. Bangladesh people need to be trained in modern profession, based on job oriented technical and vocational programme.

He also discuss about the importance of National Skills Development Policy (NSDP), National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF) and NSQAS.

NSQAS is the foundation for the training, assessment and certification of workers of Bangladesh. The objective of NSQAS is to qualify and elevate the status of the Bangladeshi workers through a systematic approach which can be recognized and respected locally and internationally.

Director, International Business programme and senior lecturer in international Business, Swinburne business school, Swinburne University of Technology, Dr Mohsin Habib   delivered his speech about the topics of ‘Role of TVET in Social Inclusion and Human development’.

He said TVET can give a faster transition into the workplace than university education.

Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the Netherlands have included TVET as the core of their curriculum and can decrease the unemployment rates.

The World Bank, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) advocate TVET to reduce poverty, promote economic growth and increase competitiveness.

In Bangladesh some students and their parents avoid vocational education and often regard it as a second option.

This sector is still neglected with much practice of low pay and under-qualified teachers, an out-dated learning environment, poor quality education provision and thus blocked future pathways.

He further suggested to unlock the potential of vocational education requires radical reforms to the educational system and policies and sustained campaigns to change social perception.

Attached officer Directorate of technical Education in Dhaka, Khaleda Ferdousi spoke on ‘Social and Professional status of TVET graduate in Bangladesh.’

She said ‘TVET is an investment, with significant returns including the well-being of workers, enhanced productivity, international competitiveness and economic growth.

To improve the social and professional situation need to update or change the TVET system.

TVET is required for all people to develop their own future and country also. Not only poor or under privilege people but also to improve the social status of TVET graduate need a TVET friendly environment.

She proposed to develop positive social attitude towards training and enhanced management.

Khaleda also focused on TVET, where update is required, people should mentally improved to adopt the TVET system, improvement of training related affairs and reduce TVET demand and supply gap.  

In Bangladesh there is an oversupply of TVET graduates and a shortage of workers with skills and qualifications required by industry.

TVET education is very much needed in Bangladesh job market. It can reduce the unemployment problem, can increase the economic growth.

Palli karma Sahayak foundation (PKSF) chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed chaired the session and

TSC Panchagarh Principle Dr Syed Abdul Aziz facilitates the programme.

Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed has shown emphasis about our framework.

He said ‘We have to place the centre of a stage for working.

At first we help mother to develop her child to educate, then training and then have to ensure job or create employment.

Again, we have to develop government policy, National Education policy.

We need social development. By increasing employment our productivity will increase. Then we can fulfil our demand and our basic needs like food, cloth, medical treatment, education.

We have to decrease our poverty, have to increase purchasing power.

For these, opportunities should be created. We also effected by social explosion, political explosion.

We have to goal achievement, emphasize dignity of labour. Without our dignity government can do nothing alone.’

Thus TVET system can make significant contributions to the nation’s economic and social development.

It is the master key that can alleviate poverty, promote peace, conserve the environment, improve the quality of life for us and help the world to achieve sustainable development by creating skilled manpower and building a skill culture.

By Khandaker Nazneen Sultana

Journalist, The New Age.

01959546568

khandakernazneen@gamil.com