Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) organised a seminar on "Local Managerial Capacity Building" at the DCCI in the city on Saturday. Expatriates' welfare and overseas employment minister Nurul Islam attended the seminar as the chief guest. DCCI president Abul Kasem Khan chaired the seminar.
Bangladesh can save around US$6.0 billion a year by developing highly-skilled and trained local workforce for managerial positions required in the country's industrial and corporate sector, said speakers.
They also said the migrant workers should be provided skill development training before going abroad for getting better jobs and wages.
The suggestions came at a seminar on 'Local Managerial Capacity Building' organised by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) at its office in the city.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam attended the programme as the chief guest.
While delivering his speech, expatriates' welfare minister said that around 11 million Bangladeshis are working abroad who send home around $15 billion foreign currencies a year as remittances.
Conversely, only 0.2 million foreign professionals are working in different industrial sectors of the country, but they repatriate around $6.0 billion every year.
Referring to the increased unemployment in the country, he said that in such reality, Bangladesh can save that foreign currency by developing skills of local professionals.
He also said it was possible to increase remittances by sending skilled and trained workers to host countries.
However, some people are buying certificates of work skills from training centres before going abroad, which has a negative impact on the country's image because these people cannot deliver according to expectation, Mr Islam added.
Citing labour force survey 2015-2016 data, DCCI president Abul Kashem Khan said Bangladesh had only 1.8 per cent managers, 3.8 per cent professionals and 1.9 per cent technical experts out of total out of 59.5 million workforce.
He said that the small percentage of managerial and professional individuals of total workforce in the country indicates that there is a huge gap between conventional education and managerial soft skills that the industry requires.
"The skill gap in managerial positions, especially in RMG, textile, power, pharmaceuticals, ICT, construction and consultancy sectors have created a window for the influx of foreign professionals to grab the growing job market in the country," Mr Khan added.
To become a high income developed country by 2041, Bangladesh has to concentrate on skills, research, and innovation led knowledge economy which will require huge number of workforce in managerial positions.
Bangladesh's education system is producing graduates who are not capable of meeting the industry needs, he noted.
The trade-body leader also urged the government to take initiatives to bring back professionally skilled expatriates working around the world in various key positions.
Mr Khan proposed the government to provide incentive such as tax-free income for at least three to five years and other non-fiscal benefits to the interested expatriates who want to come back to the country.
Presenting the keynote paper, chief executive officer of National Skills Development Council ABM Khorshed Alam said that Bangladesh needs competent managers in the industrial sector to become the 30th largest economy by 2030 from the current 46th position while attaining double-digit growth.
He said local skilled workforce could help industries overcome the challenges of bringing down cost.
He suggested developing study curriculum of educational institutions based on the industry demand; higher study should put emphasis more on case study, role play, demonstration, project work and assignment; ensuring teachers' orientation on industries; and designing short term training programmes on specific managerial skills.
SME Foundation managing director Md Shafiqul Islam, Education Ministry additional secretary Ashoke Kumar Biswas, and DCCI senior vice-president Kamrul Islam also spoke at the seminar.