Sector-Wide Integrated Framework for TVET (SWIFT): Synergies in Skills Development

ILO’s European Union-funded project Skills 21 has taken an initiative to create a Sector Wide Approach for the TVET sector for Skills Development.

ILO Country Director, TMED Secretary and DG DTE in the 2nd SWAp steering committee meeting
Development Partners' contribution to Skills development in Bangladesh so far is sustained and growing. 23 ministries imparting some form of skills or others with development partners spread over several controlling ministries, make the task of harmonization complex and challenging.

Still, it is important to end fragmentation and duplication in Skills development. Therefore, ILO’s European Union-funded project Skills 21 has taken an initiative to create a Sector Wide Approach for the TVET sector for Skills Development.

The Technical and Madrasah Education Division (TMED) of the Ministry of Education has constituted a Steering Committee under the leadership of the Secretary, TMED to lead the process.

Secretary of Technical and Madrasah Education Division Mr. Munshi Shahbuddin Ahmed chaired the 2nd SWAp steering committee meeting on 18 December 2019. Representatives from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, DFID, the European Union, Bangladesh Employers Federation has participated in the meeting.

Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director for ILO Bangladesh said, “The SWAp framework and action plan is a must to measure skills mismatches and anticipate future skill needs. The framework should be pragmatic and programs should be coordinated and aligned”.

TMED Secretary Munshi Shahabuddin Ahmed informed that it was in the manifesto of the current government to build Bangladesh as a skilled nation. Neither the government nor the development partners can do that in isolation. Hence, for the coherence SWAp is necessary.

Munshi Shahabuddin also urged to the donor to submit their skills funding plan by February 2020 to the SWAp committee, so that the government can align their annual development plan accordingly.

The secretary also instructed the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) to coordinate the certification system with other ministries to make it align.

First Secretary of EU, Mr. Hans Lambrecht emphasized on government’s role in TVET as well as Skills SWAp. He said there is a need for a clear policy and action plan for formal TVET. EU is expecting a new or revised skills policy soon.

Jhigang Li from ADB said, “The next steps need to be expedited and action plan developed by June 2020 which should be aligned with the TVET action plan.”

In the meeting, it was decided through TMED is in the lead, Director General (DG) of Directorate of Technical Education will be the focal person for the SWAp committee. The name SWAp has been changed as Sector-Wide Integrated Framework for TVET (SWIFT) in the meeting with the concern of all members.

Mashriq Ibne Akbar from DFID said, “We are supportive towards SWAp initiative to end the disconnection and bring synergies in skills development”.

The committee has decided to develop a SWAp framework with the technical support from ILO’s Skills 21 project by June 2020 and hoping to create the mechanism by December 2020.

So far, the SWAp committee conducted TVET situation analysis to identify TVET priorities, mapping development partners investment matrix in different result areas in TVET, reviewed TMED’s own and their SDG action plan and listed DPs’ future priorities for TVET investment.