Skilled labour migration

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) offers hope of higher salaries for migrant workers

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) provides an opportunity for workers to identify what they have previously learned through informal training or on the job experience, so that it can be assessed and formally acknowledged.

RPL offers hope of higher salaries for migrant workers

Better skills will help Bangladeshi migrants earn better salaries. ILO’s Canadian-funded BSEP project and Swiss-funded migration project organized a workshop 10 October 2017 to discuss introducing a Recognition of Prior Learning system for Bangladeshi migrant workers. The goal is to develop a system through which existing skills of migrants can be assessed, verified and ultimately certified.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) provides an opportunity for workers to identify what they have previously learned through informal training or on the job experience, so that it can be assessed and formally acknowledged.

Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) inaugurated the workshop. He said, “To help migrant workers gain higher incomes BTEB will eventually standardize the occupations under the Recognition of Prior Learning system so they match demand in destination countries. We have already gathered information and good practices from South Africa in this regard.”

“We have manpower, but mostly they are not skilled and those who have skills often don’t have any certification. The RPL system helps them to get a certificate and a job abroad. It is high time to re-organize the RPL system, both for the national and international job market.” said Mr. A B M Khorshed Alam, CEO of National Skills Development Council (NSDC) Secretariat.

During the event ILO’s experiences of setting up a similar RPL system for migrant workers in Sri Lanka were shared. Participants from the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (MEWOE), BMET and various development partners took part in the workshop. They discussed issues relating to introducing an RPL system for migrant workers such as the role of stakeholders, occupations in demand in various host countries as well as financial mechanisms to support the RLP system. Occupations identified as in demand in destination countries included construction, agriculture, tourism, transport, hospitality, and garments.

Kishore Singh, Chief Technical Advisor of the ILO BSEP project said, “Recognition of Prior Learning has considerable potential to help migrants from Bangladesh earn higher salaries. Efforts to further incorporate it into the national skills system should be a priority.”
An action plan on a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system will be published based on the findings of the workshop.