Originally posted in The Daily Star on 5 October 2025
World turns to AI, Bangladesh stuck in Excel-era training
When the world is racing to master artificial intelligence (AI), 42 percent of Bangladesh’s vocational training remains tied to very basic computer lessons such as typing, MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel — which neither meet the skills the country urgently needs nor the demands of overseas markets.
As a result, such outdated training is failing to make young people job-ready at home or abroad, according to employment specialists, with official data showing unemployment on the rise.
According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2024, 42 percent of all vocational training is concentrated in computer basics.
Published last month, the survey under the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), also showed that the training largely overlooks major local job-generating industries such as readymade garments, agriculture, leather and textiles.
“Simply knowing computers does not make you job-ready,” said Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, president of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF).
He said basic computer skills are essential. But they are more like a language for work, which alone does not guarantee employability.
According to him, training must be tailored to real job requirements and practical skills.
But the question is, if these courses do not lead to jobs, why are so many young people still crowding into them?
Md Anwarul Kabir, director (Curriculum) of the Bangladesh Technical Education Board, said their computer training mainly covers typing, MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel, which are very basic skills.
“The demand is highest for these foundational courses,” said Kabir. He said participants prefer these courses mainly for the certificates, which serve as proof of basic competence when applying for jobs.
But questions persist over what students truly learn and whether these certificates genuinely help them secure employment.
Masudur Rahman, a graduate from Sirajganj Government College, took a six-month computer course in 2019 at a private centre registered with the social welfare ministry.
The 27-year-old learned MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel there. But he failed a recruitment test at a Dhaka firm last year.
“I passed the written exam,” he said, “but failed in the practical as it included advanced computer tasks.”
Nearly half of all vocational training is provided by government institutes, while private institutes account for 39.6 percent. NGOs contribute 5.7 percent, focusing on women, rural youth and marginalised groups. Foreign institutes and joint ventures provide specialised or advanced skills. The remaining 2.7 percent comes from other centres.
LESS TRAINING IN RMG, TOURISM ALMOST NONE
Vocational training in the garments sector, which contributes more than 82 percent of the country’s export earnings, stands at just 7.82 percent, according to the survey.
Agriculture, which employs nearly 44 percent of workers, accounts for only 4.59 percent of crop-related training and 9.54 percent in non-crop activities.
Leather and textiles, identified as a thrust sector for export diversification, make up a paltry 0.07 percent of training.
Critical skills such as mechanical and civil engineering form just over 1 percent of vocational training, electrical and electronic work around 3 percent, and paramedical services 3.50 percent. Despite demand for these professions, they remain neglected.
In journalism and mass communication, only 0.23 percent of people received training, according to the survey.
Tourism training, the survey found, is almost zero.
“This is so minimal that it could not be counted as a percentage,” said Aziza Rahman, project director of the LFS. “We have only counted formal sources, including government, non-government and private sectors.”
Towfiqul Islam Khan, additional research director at local think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said the kind of progress that should have happened with technical and vocational training has not really happened.
“When we say technical and vocational training, we mean increasing employability, building relevant skills, and improving productivity. But the design of our courses hasn’t improved much over the years,” he commented.
WHAT ABOUT INCOME?
Referring to CPD surveys, Khan said many people have little interest in vocational training because the financial return is not attractive.
A CPD study in Sunamganj found that while most technical and vocational graduates found jobs quickly, 78 percent within six months, their wages were very low.
According to him, more than 81 percent earned below Tk 10,000, around 15 percent earned Tk 15,000 to 25,000, and only a few made Tk 30,000 to 50,000. None earned above Tk 60,000.
Similar findings came from Satkhira and Panchagarh.
Khan said basic computer training might still help the poorest, but it does not raise employability.
He said, “If we want IT-based skilled manpower, more advanced skills will be required.”
Outsourcing is happening, but Bangladesh has not developed widespread skills across the range from low-paid, low-skilled work to high-paid, high-skilled work.
Khan said that the country needs to move beyond the “numbers game”.
“If you ask officials, they will quote statistics, ‘so many people trained, so many skilled.’ But that doesn’t reflect reality. Training must be impact-oriented and outcome-oriented. Ultimately, these training sessions are not achieving the outcomes they should,” he added.
He believes technologies such as AI will make jobs like data entry or basic design redundant in the coming years.
FEWER STUDENTS FOR HIGH-DEMAND SUBJECTS
Apart from basic computer training, Technical Education Board Director Anwarul Kabir said the board offers courses in subjects such as office management, journalism and foreign languages.
But enrolment in many of these remains low, apart from Japanese, which has gained popularity due to rising labour demand in the island nation recently.
Currently, more than 12,000 institutions under the board provide training in 121 courses, ranging from basic skills to advanced diplomas.
Employers’ Federation President Fazlee Shamim Ehsan highlighted the gap between training and industry needs.
He said many industries, such as footwear, leather, plastics and toys, lack dedicated training programmes.
“The advanced IT skills, including software development or call centre operations, are offered in a limited scope and often fail to meet industry needs,” he said.
Shamim, who is also executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), stressed the importance of practical, on-the-job training, especially for workers in the informal sector.
“Millions of people work in transport, logistics or other informal sectors without proper training. If we could provide structured training, even for a month or three months, it could significantly improve their skills and safety on the job.”
On training in garments, Ehsan said large factories had already set up their own centres, which he described as “highly effective”.
The knitwear leader believes vocational training must be strengthened, sector-specific and linked directly to employment outcomes.
“Training should move beyond issuing certificates. It must develop practical, job-ready skills and prepare workers for future technologies and industry shifts,” he concluded.
