Skills for a shared future: Why Bangladesh must tell the story of skills better

When 18-year-old Obayd left his village in Kurigram, he carried little more than a backpack and uncertainty. 

His father was a day labour and after dropping out of school, Obayd followed a familiar path taken by many rural youths searching for work in Dhaka. 

He found employment as a helper in a small electronics repair shop, earning barely enough to survive. Like millions of young Bangladeshis, he had energy, determination and ambition. What he lacked was a marketable skill.

Everything changed when he enrolled in a structured ICT skills programme. There, he learned coding, web development and digital entrepreneurship. Within a few years, Obayd was no longer repairing old devices; he was building software solutions for clients at home and abroad. Today, he runs a successful technology company, employs young programmers from his hometown, and mentors aspiring students who once shared the same uncertainty.

Obayd's story is fictional, but it reflects the journey of thousands of young Bangladeshis whose lives have been transformed through skills. Yet for every Obayd, countless others remain trapped in low-productivity jobs- not because opportunities don't exist, but because they never hear about them.

That is why Bangladesh's skills challenge is no longer only about training. It is also about communication.

As the world marks World Youth Skills Day 2026 under the theme "Skills for a shared future", Bangladesh should ask a difficult but necessary question: Have we invested enough in telling the story of skills?

Over the past decade, Bangladesh has made significant steps in building a skills ecosystem. Through continued public investment and collaboration with industry and development partners, competency-based standards have been introduced, nationally recognised certification systems strengthened, and technical and vocational education expanded. 

As industries demand a more skilled workforce, skills development is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of productivity, export competitiveness and harnessing the country's demographic dividend.

Yet a paradox persists.

Employers report shortages of skilled workers while thousands of educated young people remain unemployed or underemployed. 

Technical occupations often offer better employment forecasts than many academic degrees, yet parents and students continue to view vocational education as a second choice. Many young people are unaware of nationally recognised certification, apprenticeship opportunities, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), or emerging careers in the digital and green economies.

Young people need engaging digital content on platforms they use every day. Parents need reassurance that technical careers offer dignity and stability. Employers need evidence that certified workers improve productivity and quality. Policymakers require data demonstrating the return on investment in skills. One message cannot reach everyone; communication must be designed for different audiences.

This gap between opportunity and aspiration is, in many ways, a communication gap.

People cannot chase opportunities they do not know exist. Parents cannot support careers they do not understand. Employers cannot value competency-based certification if its benefits are not communicated effectively. Skills policies alone cannot transform a nation unless people believe in them.

Bangladesh therefore needs a National Communications Strategy for Skills Development- not as a public relations exercise, but as an economic strategy.

Such a strategy should begin with changing the national narrative. Skills should no longer be presented as an alternative for those who fail to enter university. Instead, they should be recognised as pathways to innovation, entrepreneurship, productivity and global competitiveness. The question should shift from "What degree do you have?" to "What value can you create?"

The second pillar must be storytelling.

Bangladesh is full of untold success stories: the young woman from Tangail transforming traditional weaving into an online business; the certified caregiver from Barishal working in Japan; the welding technician contributing to shipbuilding; the solar technician supporting the green transition; and the software developer from Kurigram serving international clients without leaving home.

These are not merely personal achievements. They are stories of economic transformation. When widely shared through television, newspapers, documentaries and social media, they inspire confidence, reshape aspirations and demonstrate that skills can be a pathway to prosperity.

Third, communication must be audience-specific. Young people need engaging digital content on platforms they use every day. Parents need reassurance that technical careers offer dignity and stability. Employers need evidence that certified workers improve productivity and quality. Policymakers require data demonstrating the return on investment in skills. One message cannot reach everyone; communication must be designed for different audiences.

Fourth, Bangladesh should celebrate skills as proudly as it celebrates academic excellence. National Skills Competitions, employer awards, community campaigns and media recognition can elevate the status of skilled professionals. Every district should have its own "Skills Ambassador"- successful graduates whose journeys inspire local youth. Visibility changes perception and perception shapes career choices.

Finally, communication should connect skills with national identity.

Around the world, countries are known for what their people do best. Germany is synonymous with engineering excellence. South Korea has built a reputation for technological innovation. Singapore is recognised for world-class human capital.

Bangladesh has earned global recognition for the resilience and dedication of its people. The next step is to become recognised for the quality of its workforce.

That is the essence of Brand Bangladesh.

Brand Bangladesh should not be defined only by garments, remittances or infrastructure. It should be built around skilled people- young innovators, certified technicians, entrepreneurs, caregivers, digital professionals and artisans who compete confidently in global markets. A nation with a strong skills brand attracts investment, earns international trust and expands opportunities for its citizens.

But strong brands are never built by policy alone. They are built through consistent communication, compelling stories and a shared national narrative.

Bangladesh has already shown the power of strategic communication in campaigns on immunisation, girls' education and digital transformation. Skills development deserves the same ambition. Communication should become a core investment alongside training, certification and industry partnerships.

The theme of this year's World Youth Skills Day- "Skills for a shared future"- reminds us that skills are not only about employment; they are about shared prosperity. A skilled workforce raises productivity, strengthens industries, fuels innovation and improves lives across society.

The next Obayd is already out there- perhaps in Kurigram, Bandarban, Satkhira or Bhola. He or she does not need sympathy. They need information, inspiration and opportunity. Because before Bangladesh can build a skilled nation, it must first build a nation that believes in skills. And that belief begins with telling the right stories.

A well-crafted national communications strategy can turn those stories into a movement and that movement can transform Skilled Bangladesh into Brand Bangladesh.
 

Adnan Faisal is a communications and outreach expert. He can be reached at: adnanfaisal.bdasia@yahoo.com 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.