Bangladesh is set to adopt a new national integrated rural and marginalised people development policy.
Agriculture, fisheries, livestock and handicraft sectors will get priority for development through grooming the backward section in the backwoods, according to the industries ministry.
The draft policy styled 'National Skills Development Policy (NSDP)' awaits a seal of approval by the cabinet today (Tuesday).
The new policy aims to achieve the target of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Vision 2041.
Besides, the NSDP will help create reskilling and upskilling manpower through providing state-of-the art training to the workforce to achieve the goals, according to the ministry.
"We've sent the draft NSDP to the Cabinet Division and expect it to be approved on Tuesday (today)," a high official involved with the drafting told the FE on Monday.
Earlier, the government made the National Skills Development Authority Act-2018 and later prepared the NSDA Rules-2020 to bring about a paradigm shift in skills development of the nation.
The draft policy entails new and relevant issues like quality structure for quality skills training and development to help trainees get jobs, responsibility domain and competency-based training and assessment.
The official said the NSDP has also been framed considering demand of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The key aims of the NSDP include involving different government organisations for reskilling and upskilling the manpower, and coordination between demand and supply of skills.
The NSDP is an inclusive, goal-oriented, action-based and sustainable development target, he maintained.
It will ensure training for backward people in remote and underdeveloped areas to make them economically self-reliant and also provide training for informal workers and apprentices.
The NSDP started functioning in 2019 with the representation of ministries, the private sector, employers and selected working-class organisations.
An estimated 23 ministries and 35 government departments are involved in providing training on skills development.
Besides, Industrial Skills Council will establish a centre of excellence as per the new skills development policy for uplifting skills of industrial workers.
The industries ministry further said that expatriate Bangladeshis will get proper training as per the needs and requirements of their foreign employers.
The NSDP thus suggests the government sign a mutual recognition agreement with foreign government agencies to get cooperation in training the local workforce.
Using digital technology, creating further inclination for distant working, digitisation of trade and businesses through reskilling and upskilling are also important features of the NSDP.
The NSDP has also a mechanism to identify unnecessary skills and emerging skills to prepare the youth with time-befitting training to cope with contemporary challenges in global trade and businesses.
The ministry official said a time-befitting and strategic plan of action would be prepared with the involvement of all stakeholders for smooth and appropriate implementation of the new NSDP.
The four major areas of skills development management are ministries, government-aided private organisations, private commercial business entities and NGOs, and industrial units and internees.
The first NSDP was adopted in 2011. The new one has been prepared to address contemporary issues and new global challenges by reskilling and upskilling both public and private manpower.
