Trained but jobless: Why Bangladesh's skills programmes keep failing
Bangladesh has spent thousands of crores over the past decade on vocational and ICT training projects meant to fight youth unemployment - yet most have failed to deliver lasting jobs or income
The big picture:
Bangladesh has spent thousands of crores over the past decade on vocational and ICT training projects meant to fight youth unemployment - yet most have failed to deliver lasting jobs or income. Now, despite a trail of costly failures, the interim administration is planning another round of training projects with similar flaws.
What's new:
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The Department of Youth Development has proposed two major initiatives:
- Mobile servicing training: A Tk506 crore project to train 38,400 youths in mobile phone servicing. Trainees aged 18–35 with higher secondary education would receive three months of training and daily allowances of Tk500 (Tk300 for meals, Tk200 as stipend).
- AI skills development: Another Tk46.35 crore project targeting 9,600 youths for basic and advanced artificial intelligence training. The plan includes instruction on 27 AI tools, and aims to build a generation of "digital entrepreneurs" - with at least 30% women participants.
Both projects promise to create skilled workers and self-employed entrepreneurs. But experts warn they may repeat the same mistakes that have plagued earlier efforts.
By the numbers:
Recent audits show poor outcomes from earlier training drives:
- A 2024 IMED assessment found that most job-creation projects suffer from weak planning, poor targeting, and no follow-up.
- In one Tk38 crore project training 5,185 people across four districts:
- Only 2.8% of driving trainees and 4.6% of IT trainees found jobs in their fields.
- Nearly half of participants held bachelor's or master's degrees - even though the project was meant for the underprivileged.
- The National Women's Organisation's ICT project (Tk69 crore) saw less than 1% of women become entrepreneurs.
- BIDA's Entrepreneur Creation project trained nearly 25,000 people - only 17% managed to start businesses.
- The ICT Division's LEDP, despite a massive Tk3,800 crore allocation, has only 32,000 active freelancers out of 77,000 trained.
Why it matters:
These results point to a persistent cycle: projects prioritizing the number of trainees over quality outcomes, outdated curricula, and little post-training support.
Economists say the approach is input-driven rather than impact-driven, wasting public resources while failing to create meaningful employment.
Between the lines:
Government monitoring typically ends when the projects do - usually after two or three years. There's no long-term tracking of whether trainees find jobs, start businesses, or sustain incomes.
Many trainees also lack tools or funding to apply their skills, particularly those from rural areas or lower-income families. Competition in the global digital economy further limits opportunities for people with only basic training.
Expert view:
"Training alone is not enough," said Mustafa K Mujeri, executive director of the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM).
He also noted the lack of coordination between ministries and minimal evaluation of impact, despite the huge sums being spent.
What could help:
Analysts and economists suggest a shift toward "Training → Internship → Job Linkage" models that connect skills to actual market demand. They also call for:
- Long-term tracking and mentorship after training
- Financial access for self-employment
- Updated curricula aligned with evolving industries
- Inter-ministerial coordination and accountability
The bottom line:
Bangladesh's repeated investment in training programs has produced more paperwork than paychecks. Without structural reforms that tie skills development to real job opportunities, experts warn, the new mobile servicing and AI projects risk becoming yet another round of expensive promises with scant results.
