The professionalisation of TVET teachers or trainers is critical in order to build a quality technical and vocational training system to produce highly skilled trainees.
Therefore improving the pedagogical and technical skills of TVET teachers is a key priority to achieve this objective
With the technical assistance from ILO Skills 21 project, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) and Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) have introduced the first-ever Level 5 (pedagogical) Competency-Based Training and Assessment training for Master Trainers in Bangladesh.
Some 24 TVET teachers and trainers, who are all level 4 qualified trainers and assessors from all over Bangladesh, have participated in the month-long training, led by an international Master Trainer.
Eventually, these trained master trainers will train another 180 teachers and trainers next year.
These training courses will produce a pool of trained master trainers to educate and upskills TVET students.
The residential training started on March 14 and ended on April 11, and the skills assessment will take place on April 12-13, 2022.
BTEB developed the competency standards for Level 5 with the support by the ILO Skills 21 project, which is funded by the European Union.
In the closing session of this training, the Secretary TMED Md Kamal Hossain said, "In order to modernise the TVET system, the government prioritises the transformation of the traditional TVET system to CBT&A methodology. This requires a structured process like Competency-Based Teaching".
"TVET teachers must master the required occupational skills in order to deliver the contents of the lessons to create a conducive and effective learning environment that enhances the quality and professionalism of TVET graduates. This training is therefore an important stepping stone on the path towards full modernisation of the TVET system", he added.
Contributing to the whole-of-system quality upgrade of the Bangladeshi TVET system, the ILO EU funded Skills 21 project has trained 2,800 trainers and assessors in order to raise their professional qualifications level.
ILO Country Director Tuomo Poutiainen commented, ‘'Master Trainers will play a key role in increasing the number of qualified TVET trainers in Bangladesh helping to build a modern and contemporary TVET system for the country ."
He also confirmed that ILO will continue to support the government of Bangladesh through developing additional qualification packages and supporting the alignment of TVET curriculum. High-level professional qualifications of master trainers are essential for a high-quality TVET system capable of upskilling youth to meet the requirements of the growing Bangladeshi economy currently and for the future.
Uttam Kumar Das, instructor, Bangladesh Korea Technical Training Centre, expressed that the Training Need Assessment, one of the Level 5 master training modules, is crucial to identify gaps in training both for the trainers and students.
Md Mostafizur Rahman, chief instructor, Vocational Teachers Training Institute, said the development of competency standards is one of the newest things they have learned from this training.
He also mentioned the different ways to develop digital learning materials and connect them with the training.
Skills 21 project is a joint initiative of the Government of Bangladesh and the International Labour Organization (ILO), funded by the European Union. The project seeks to increase productivity and employment opportunities through an environmentally conscious, inclusive, demand-driven, and interlinked skills development system responding to the needs of the labour market.