TIB calls for formulating Nat'l Green-Skill Strategy

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has called for formulating a 'National Green-Skill Strategy' taking into consideration the domestic and international labour demand in line with the government's Perspective Plan- 2041 and the Eighth Five-Year Plan.
TIB came up with an eight-point recommendation in a statement issued on Friday on the International Youth Day considering the potential youth population as a key driver of national achievement.
The anti-graft watchdog suggested that required changes should be brought in the education system, especially renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and eco-friendly urban planning and teachers' skills should be improved in line with the "green-skills" strategy.
To ensure their participation in building a sustainable Bangladesh, youths must master 'green skills' especially to ensure employment in the competitive labour market, it pointed out.
According to TIB, 'green skills' are regarded as the ability to possess the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary to build, live and develop sustainable societies.
Considering the latest census, one-fifth of the country's population is youth, indicating the country has great demographic potential.
According to the international labour demand, the youth population should be educated in career-oriented and technical education, and skilled in green skills, it recommends.
Special measures should be taken for disabled, tribal and backward communities including ensuring 'green-skill' enhancing education through special incentives for poor and female students, TIB suggested.
Emphasis should be put on technical and "green education" in addition to allocations to the education sector as per the recommendations of the United Nations, it said.
Employment should be created for the youth through short, medium and long-term specific plans, TIB said.
Incentives should be provided to develop green entrepreneurship among the youths, it said, adding that initiatives should be taken to prepare unemployed youth or recent graduates for alternative occupations (such as green-skills outsourcing, freelancing) through specialised training.
Proper changes should be made in the manpower structure in all public and private institutions in line with "green skills" and the recruitment process should be corruption-free and equal competition based on merit, it recommended.

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