The USAID-funded Bijoyee Project has revealed the key insights from an inclusive youth labor market assessment at a dissemination workshop in Dhaka.
The evaluation, covering 18 districts in four regions of the country, surveyed over 957 individuals including youth, employers and government stakeholders; and identified major soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem solving and time management as critical to career advancement, a press release reads.
The assessment found that three main areas – agriculture, manufacturing and services – offer strong job opportunities and potential for economic growth.
Employers in these areas highlighted problems with communication and impulse control among young workers. This shows a clear need for youth to develop the five key soft skills recommended by USAID’s Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework.
Priyoshindhu Talukder speaking as Chief Guest Director (Planning) Department of Youth Development (DYD), “Supporting our youth’s entry into the labor market through entrepreneurship is critical. DYD, along with USAID, CARE and other partners, aims to provide skill training to nearly 9 00 000 youth through Bijoyee and other initiatives, helping them thrive in Bangladesh’s changing job market.”
USAID Bangladesh’s Education Office, Denise O’Toole, emphasized Bijoyee’s role in empowering youth in Bangladesh, saying, “Bijoyee is instrumental in nurturing a youth-driven, transformative framework for development in Bangladesh.”
According to the release, the agriculture sector, which employs over 45% of the country’s workforce, shows a significant gap in marketing and communication skills and limited opportunities for youth with diverse gender identities and disabilities.
Similarly, in the RMG sector, while women make up almost 60% of the workforce, employment of people with disabilities and transgender people remains low. The healthcare sector expressed an urgent need for professionals skilled in client interaction and stress management.
Overall, recurrent gaps in essential soft skills such as communication, decision-making, conflict management, customer management and time management are evident in these sectors.
One of the key findings of the report is the limited awareness and understanding of ‘soft skills’ among young people in Bangladesh. Only 31% of the 628 young people surveyed were familiar with the concept of soft skills, and 52% could identify elements of it when prompted.
Just 18% of respondents demonstrated extensive understanding and articulation of soft skills, while a remarkable 36% lacked awareness altogether.
Encouragingly, two-thirds of respondents indicated interest in participating in training programs focused on integrated soft and technical skills development.
The USAID Bijoyee Project, a five-year initiative aimed at empowering young people, is committed to addressing this skills gap through targeted efforts and private sector partnerships.
By equipping youth with necessary soft skills, the project aims to improve their access to economic opportunities and contribute to Bangladesh’s economic growth.
The dissemination workshop brought together government officials, private sector leaders and development partners to discuss strategies to bridge skills gaps and promote youth inclusion.
The findings serve as a roadmap to strengthen Bangladesh’s youth-led development and increase economic participation, the release added.
