Skill development must to grab manpower mkts in rich countries

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Naim-Ul-Karim
Bangladesh can hardly reap the full potential of manpower export to the extent of several million to developed countries unless the government launches a pragmatic skill development programme soon, sources concerned said.
A number of European, North American and Scandinavian countries are set to recruit manpower from the least developed countries (LDCs) including Bangladesh, as they will require about 5.5 million people by the next couple of years, according to the sources.
Sources with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), some recruiting agencies and migration agents said there will be no alternative for the EU, NA and Scandinavian countries to recruit skilled and semi-skilled manpower from this part of the world, specially from Bangladesh, as their working population is decreasing by 10 per cent each year.
They said some countries have already started exploring the manpower export potential of some LDCs including Bangladesh before going for recruitment on a large scale. They are just looking to assess the skill level of the manpower that can meet their requirement.
The authorities concerned of some developed countries including Australia, Poland and Canada have already expressed their keen interest to recruit manpower from Bangladesh.
"We have been asked to let them know about our education system and training facilities," a source said.
"Our missions abroad should be asked to look for overseas job markets and let us know about their specific requirements so that we can launch the similar skill development programme in the country," a high official in the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) said.
Besides, he said, "We should approach the authorities concerned of the manpower recruiting countries to draw their attention to the fact that there is skilled manpower here, instead of waiting for their proposition."
A BMET official said the government should take steps soon to bring thousands of unemployed people under training facilities for skill development keeping in mind the requirements of some specific manpower recruiting countries.
In this case, the government can take help of hundreds of recruit agencies, he said stressing the public-private joint initiative.
Citing examples of some countries, sources said Bangladesh should immediately announce this sector as an industry.
When contacted, a senior ministry official said the government initiative to prepare a strategic plan on manpower export is under way.
He said they are hoping that some programmes will be launched soon for skill development immediately after their approval.
Bangladesh has every possibility to increase the inflow of remittance from the expatriates, sources said.
They said the country received during the last fiscal about $ 6.0 billion (600 crore) in remittance sent by some four million expatriates now staying abroad.