The government and the private sector must ensure sufficient skills training for the the country's growing workforce that is expected to reach 76 million by 2025, said discussants at a seminar yesterday.

Up to two million people are added every year to the present workforce of 60 million, but a majority of them lack proper education and occupational skills, they added.

To speed up the pace in becoming a middle income country and fulfil the sustainable development goals to promote decent work for all, there is no alternative to arranging technical, vocational and technological skills training for the youth, said discussants.

They spoke at a seminar on 'Power of apprenticeships: economic and social impact of skills training', organised by Brac Skills Development Programme at its head office in Dhaka.

The youth unemployment rate is 9 percent and the underemployment rate is 20 percent, said Joydeep Sinha Roy, senior manager of Brac Skills Development Programme.

“Around 80 percent of our workforce is employed by the informal sector. Of them, 95 percent is youths between 18 and 24 years of age, which is considered the most productive group in any economy.”

Unfortunately, these youths, who work mainly as apprentice, get almost no remuneration, he claimed.

Brac has trained 18,900 people in 135 upazilas of 43 districts since 2012, said Joydeep, adding that 95 percent of them were employed after graduation.

In another presentation, the Brac research team said that adolescent girls and boys can earn six times higher after receiving skills training.

Besides, child marriages also tend to come down 62 percent as such training boosts their awareness and self confidence.

Stressing effective coordination among 35 government departments on providing skills training, Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar said, “We are trying to bring the entire programme of skills development under one umbrella. We have undertaken an initiative led by the prime minister to form a Skills Development Authority in the next 2-3 months.”

Earlier, ABM Khorshed Alam, chief executive of National Skill Development Council (NSDC), discussed the draft of the national apprenticeship strategy.

There should be at least a 10 percent quota in all industrial institutions for the youth to work as apprentices, he added.

Asif Saleh, senior director for Brac's strategy, communications and empowerment, chaired the seminar, while Salahuddin Kasem Khan, co-chairman of NSDC, and Tahsinah Ahmed, director for Brac's skills development programme, also spoke.