Informal sectors employ 87pc of workforce

About 87 per cent of the country's total workforce are engaged in informal sectors including agriculture and small trade who are not properly evaluated.
On the other hand, many of these workers cannot play their due role due to lack of training and skill hindering the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
These were noted during the launch of Brac Institute of Skills Development (Brac-ISD) at Ashkona of Uttara.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid launched the institute the chief guest.
It was mentioned in the keynote presentation that the unemployment rate in the country is 4.2 per cent (BBS, 2017) while more than two million youths enter the job market every year. Youth unemployment is 10.2 per cent (The World Bank, 2017).
About 40 per cent youths are not in employment, education or training. About 10.4 per cent labourers were trained in 2013 while the remaining 89.6 per cent were untrained (BIDS).
In 2025, Bangladesh's workforce is expected to reach 76 million. About 60 per cent of Bangladesh's labour force is under 30 years, 75 per cent of business leaders claim skilled young workers are scarce.
Nurul Islam Nahid said the main challenge for the technical education is the attitude of society as everyone expects to earn higher educational degree.
There are two other challenges -- lack of female students in technical education due to their unwillingness and shortage of teachers.
He said there are 49 polytechnic colleges in the country now. The government will set up another 34 polytechnic colleges to develop skilled manpower in future.

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