The National Skills Development Policy 2011 (NSDP 2011), adopted by the Government in January 2012, is a comprehensive document that covers all aspects of skills development in the country. Before the adoption of the policy, in-depth and broad-based consultation was held at both national and divisional levels with the participation of key stakeholders.

In this context, the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), with the technical and financial support from ILO’s Skills 21 project, will conduct a review and updating of the NSDP 2011. The review process will be inclusive, participatory and reflecting the views and recommendations of the stakeholders.

The review process will be carried out in three stages- first, collect and review secondary data and information about the country’s skills development scenario, priorities, broader socio-economic context and the role that the skills policy can play in this regard. Second, a series of workshops will be organized with the stakeholders to obtain their views and recommendations. The and final stage will include- consolidating the findings and recommendations in one report and prepare a revised draft of the skills policy for placing it to the higher authority for review and eventual adoption.

On 8 January 2020, NSDA organized the first workshop with different stakeholders as part of its first initiative to review the policy. Faruque Hossain, Executive Chairman of NSDA, said, “In the changing context of the country’s economic shift from agriculture to service, the industrial revolution, climate change, other policy changes this is the high time to revise NSDP”. He emphasized on industry linkage, climate change issues, legal and institutional changes of the skills development domain should be considered.

Kishore Kumar Singh, Chief Technical Adviser, Skills 21 project of ILO thanked NSDA for taking this initiative of a comprehensive and participatory review of NSDP 2011 with the stakeholders. He appreciated that the country adopted a demand-driven system, however, it requires reform which may take years. He highlighted some issues which require to be highlighted in the NSDP 2011 review: formation of industry/market-driven policy, competency-based training and assessment operational, a universal certification system, inclusive and accessible skills provision for all, output-based budgeting, global exposure and acceptability of the policy.

Rezaul Karim, Member, NSDA presented the skills ecosystem and NSDA’s role in the development of that eco-system. NSDA will play a major role in forecasting skill demand for the domestic and international labour market, managing ISCs and industry linkage, facilitating apprenticeship initiatives ad removing social stigma.

Nurunnabi Khan, Consultant, NSDA briefly presented the National Skills Development Policy (NSDP) 2011 and conducted the open discussion. From the discussion, various issues came up such as lack of awareness on NSDP 2011, clarity needed on formal, non-formal and informal sector of skills, green economy and soft skills should be integrated, entrepreneurial skills development should be focused on young people, for overseas employment industrial skills should be focused.

Later, in the workshop participants were divided into four groups to discuss specific issues on NSDP 2011 and shared their thoughts and ideas. Participants from PKSF, UCEP, MOTS Mcdonald, SOS emphasized to publicize NSDP to the implementers. Industry linkage, a short course for soft skills, CBTA operational, green skills and inclusions were the areas to be much-highlighted issues in the reviewed policy recommended by the participants.

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.