Be a job creator, not job seeker

Each year, thousands of graduates enter Bangladesh's job market with hopes of securing stable employment only to face limited opportunities and increasing competition. This growing mismatch between education outcomes and labour market realities underscores the need for a paradigm shift - from producing job seekers to cultivating job creators.

The current education system remains heavily theory-driven, with minimal emphasis on practical skills, innovation and entrepreneurship. As a result, many graduates emerge academically accomplished but ill-prepared to initiate ventures or contribute to economic diversification. The country's long-term growth depends on harnessing this untapped potential through entrepreneurship-focused education and policy support.

Establishing university-based incubation centers, offering startup seed funding and integrating entrepreneurship modules across disciplines could help foster a culture of innovation. Encouraging collaboration between academia, industry and government would further strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Countries such as India and Indonesia have demonstrated how empowering youth-led enterprises can stimulate job creation, attract investment and enhance national competitiveness.

Bangladesh's demographic dividend presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. Equipping students to become job creators rather than job seekers is not just an educational reform - it is a strategic economic imperative for sustainable growth and self-reliance.

Nusrat Jahan Usha

BBA, North South University

nusrat.usha01@northsouth.edu