Arming youths with right sets of skill

That the proportion of skilled manpower sent abroad in 2022 fell to 22.22 per cemt from 23.20 per cent in 2010 ---over a period of long 13 years ---is not only surprising but highly alarming. Both literacy and education have made significant progress at least in terms of coverage of the total population by this time. When the percentage of skilled migrant workers falls over such a period, it brings to the fore ---contrary to the policymakers' claim of encouraging export of more skilled manpower---a number of disquieting factors. First, literacy and low-level education are bereft of technical lessons rendering youths aspiring for employment abroad unfit for decent jobs and commensurate payment. It is indeed pathetic that the inward remittance sent by migrant workers numbering 1.1 million was US$21.03 billion compared to its previous year when a far smaller number of migrants, 0.835 million in total, sent $24.78 billion.

Now this drop in remittance sent home by migrant workers may primarily be a result of lower wages earned by them, but at the same time remittance sent through illegal channels such as hundi may as well be responsible to a large extent. This explains why during this period remittance sent from the United States of America has surpassed the total sent from Saudi Arabia. Remittance inflow from the USA rose to 17.8 per cent of the total as against S. Arabia's 17.7 per cent. If the inflow from the USA is not the re-sent money laundered there earlier, as observed by financial experts from the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), in order to cash in on pricey dollar, it could be that the money sent was by professionals through legal channels. It is quite understandable that workers with little or no skill get employment abroad on the strength of their relations with their kith and kin already serving abroad. There is nothing to be surprised if they avoid legal channels for sending home the money they earn abroad.

All such troubles, however, arise from the country's policy failure in terms of education and training for youths who leave schools for migration to a foreign land. This is corroborated by the desperate attempts by such youths to take illegal routes for migration to the land of their dreams---mostly in Europe. The saga of many of their dreams coming to a disappointing and tragic end in the Mediterranean Sea or in Libya's torture cells often rocks the conscience of the nation. But after decades, the policymakers still could not work out an acceptable formula for the aspiring youths' employment at home or abroad.

The Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) trains 80,000 youths at its 95 technical training centres (TTCs) but the secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) alleges that the manpower trained by the TTCs 'is not the right fit for the international labour market'. Whether the charge brought about by him against the TTCs is to parry the question that BAIRA is not interested in sending skilled manpower abroad or the training is indeed inappropriate should immediately be looked into. Indeed, the nature of employment is going through changes at a phenomenal speed and youths looking for employment abroad have to acquire the skills needed to be equal to the challenge. Countries such as Germany, Japan and Italy need such workers more than ever before.