14pc enrolment at technical education: Nahid

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has said the government has increased students enrolment to 14 percent from one aiming to create skilled workforce.

"As part of its effort to transform Bangladesh into a middle-income status, the government has set a target to reach 20 percent technical and vocational education by 2020," he told the inaugural function of National Skills Competition-2016 here yesterday.

Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) organized the competition at Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB), an official release said.

Secretary of Secondary and Higher Secondary Department Md Sohrab Hossain, Secretary of Technical and Madrasa Education Md Alamgir, Project Director of STEP ABM Azad and Chairman of Bangladesh Technical Education Board Dr M Mostafizur Rahman, among others, addressed the function with Director General of Directorate of Technical Education Ashok Kumar Biswas in the chair.

Nahid said in 2009, there was only one percent student enrolment in the technical and vocation education while current enrolment is 14 percent.

"We are promoting skilled-based education to develop competent human resources to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country. Education without skills will create a burden for family as well as nation," he said.

Referring to different initiatives taken by the present government to expand technical and vocational education, the minister said, "We have attached top priority to expansion of technical and vocation education to ensure better access of students to job markets."

Source : BSS