Change mindset, focus on vocational education to build skilled workforce

Managing Director of Apex Footwear Syed Nasim Manzur has called for an urgent shift in Bangladesh's mindset towards technical education, warning that the deep-rooted stigma attached to vocational training is preventing the country from building the skilled workforce it desperately needs.
He made the observation while speaking at a session of the International Conference on Economics, Business and Technology Management (ICEBTM 2025) held at a city hotel on Friday.
The two-day event was organised by the School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).
Speaking at the session on 'Industry and academia', the prominent industrialist said Bangladesh must "de-stigmatise technical training" and move away from language and attitudes that equate vocational skills with lower social status.
"The intellectual elitism of going to some of these schools (elite) does not make you royalty," he said. "We should never use the word 'vocational'. In Bangladesh, if you have vocational training, you can't get married. Families will not marry. I know this."
He highlighted the irony that highly skilled tradespeople such as plumbers earn far more globally than many so-called 'prestigious' professions. "Plumbers on an hourly basis make more money than lawyers in New York City. Try getting a plumber in New York or London," he remarked.
Mr Manzur urged Bangladeshi universities, especially the top-tier institutions, to embrace technical education in a structured and modern way, citing the United Kingdom's newly introduced T-Levels, positioned alongside traditional O- and A-Levels.
"Why can't a great university like IUB start a two-year programme for food technology, supply chain management, warehouse management, quality management, sustainability -- all that?" he asked. "We will send people on our money. We don't have the time and we don't have the need to have four-year degrees."
Continuous learning models and short, industry-relevant courses could help bridge the widening gap between graduate expectations and actual job availability, he pointed out.
While corporate jobs remain highly paid, he noted that "jobs on the shop floor start low but pay very high", yet employers struggle to attract young workers into these roles.
Mr Manzur also pointed to international opportunities Bangladesh is failing to exploit.
Countries such as Japan require workers with basic Japanese language skills and specific driving licences, offering fast-tracked work permits, he said.
Brazil, one of the world's largest halal meat producers, is reportedly facing shortages of trained halal butchers, an area in which Bangladeshi workers could fill a growing niche, he added.
"What are your needs? You're not telling us," he said, noting that in 35 years in business, no authority had ever asked him what skills industry actually requires. "I come to these seminars, I rant and rave, and I go back. Somebody's got to break this vicious cycle."
He stressed that aligning education with real-world demand, acknowledging the value of skilled trades, and removing the social stigma around technical training are essential steps for Bangladesh's economic future.
Speaking at the session, IUB VC Dr M Tamim pointed out that bureaucracy is an obstruction to increasing collaboration between industry and academia.

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