Employment exchange to begin operations in Dec to boost jobs: Mahdi Amin
Collected Photo
Mahdi Amin, the Prime Minister's advisor on labor and employment and spokesperson for his office, has said preliminary operations of an Employment Exchange will begin across the country in December to increase employment opportunities.
He said the initiative was being launched for young people in line with a commitment in the election manifesto of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Mahdi Amin made the announcement at a press briefing in the conference room of the Ministry of Labor and Employment at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon.
The PM's labor and employment advisor said creating jobs was the key to properly empowering young people and maximizing their potential. To make the most of Bangladesh's vast demographic dividend, preliminary operations of the Employment Exchange and Career Fair would begin in Dhaka in December. The initiative would subsequently be expanded in phases to divisional and district levels across the country, he added.
He also said the PM firmly believed that empowering young people was essential to moving the country forward. This goal could be achieved by creating employment opportunities and helping young people develop their untapped talents and creativity.
To turn the plan into reality, consultations have been held over the past six months with key stakeholders, including industry representatives, academia, various NGOs, government agencies and development partners. The initiative will begin in December based on a consensus policy decision, he said.
Explaining that the Employment Exchange would primarily connect labor market demand with supply, Mahdi Amin said Bangladesh's greatest strength was its large young population. The government's main objective was to harness the aspirations of young people, transform them into a skilled workforce and connect them directly with the job market, including young people outside the mainstream education system and recent graduates.
The PM's advisor said the platform would identify employment opportunities in local industries, businesses and commercial organizations across the country. A database of the skills and qualifications of the working-age youth population would be maintained alongside information on workforce requirements of local industries and businesses. Bringing the two together would create an integrated national digital platform, he added.
He also announced that regular career fairs would be organized nationwide to develop skilled workers and generate employment opportunities. The main objective, he said, was to bridge the longstanding gap between industry and academia and establish stronger links between them by holding regular career fairs at the district level.
Mahdi Amin said a comprehensive employment-oriented ecosystem would be developed to enhance job seekers' skills and create direct employment opportunities. Under the initiative, people entering the job market would receive essential training in resume writing, capacity building and interview skills. He added that arrangements were being made to connect candidates with the relevant services through referrals to various ministries.
In response to a question from journalists, Prime Minister's Advisor said the Employment Exchange would help young people wishing to work abroad obtain the necessary technical training through registration on the platform.
Both employers and job seekers will be able to register on the platform. Although international employers may not register directly, young people seeking employment abroad will be connected with the relevant technical training centers or the technical and vocational education system after registering. The government aims to build an ecosystem in which any young person can be connected with the appropriate authorities simply by stating their career goals, he said.
Responding to another question about the state of factories and employment following August 5, 2024, the adviser said some factories had closed amid the circumstances that emerged after that date. However, despite various claims and misinformation, the actual number of closures was comparatively much lower.
While the closure of some factories had reduced employment, new investments were also being encouraged and many new factories were beginning operations. Initiatives had also been taken to reopen factories that had shut down. As a result, new employment opportunities were being created, he added.
Asked about specific employment targets for the Employment Exchange, Mahdi Amin said the targets and roadmap would be announced when the initiative was formally launched in December. Work was currently underway on the overall strategy and operational framework to ensure the voluntary participation of industries while safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders.
In response to another question, the adviser said the government would initially focus on improving young people's skills, but would give serious consideration to introducing unemployment benefits in the future. For now, the government's primary objective was to transform young people into a skilled workforce. The introduction of unemployment benefits would be considered a matter of high priority in the coming days, he added.
As the Prime Minister's advisor, Mahdi Amin is responsible for the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
Labor and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, Labor and Employment Secretary Abdur Rahman Tarafdar and others were also present at the press briefing.
