The Bangladesh vocational education and training system : an assessment

Bangladesh has made considerable progress in its economic development. Among other fundamental factors, recent high average economic growth rate of over 5 percent has been accompanied by labor force and employment growth, which has risen about 4.5 percent per year between 2000 and 2003. Bangladesh's National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction (NSPR) appropriately identifies the strategic goal of promoting vocational training and skill development to accelerate this growth process, which will help Bangladesh reduce poverty and vulnerability. Appropriate policies and programs for the labor market are important drivers of economic growth and a more equitable income distribution. It is appropriate that the NSPR has given priority to vocational and technical training as a major focus of educational reforms in the medium term. To further this NSPR agenda it is imperative to align skill development with the dynamics of the labor market. This report is an attempt to understand the labor market context and the technical and vocational training and education system of Bangladesh, and to propose policy options that improve labor market outcomes and drive future economic growth.