Last April, Bashundhara Group gave vacancy adverts for executives, senior executives and divisional managers, stating jobs for 15 persons.
Against the circular, a large number of applications were submitted and the first interview of short listed candidates was taken this month.
But Bashundhara could not hire against the posts, saying that most of the applicants proved to be inadequately skilled.
Bashundhara is preparing to advertise again.
GM of the group, Shahinur Rahman, Shahin, says: “it’s difficult to get skilled people.”
The same frustration was aired by several human resources organisations.
Specialists blame the education system for not providing necessary skills. According to the Bangladesh Statistics Bureau, BBS, in the 2016-17 fiscal, there were 10 crore 91 lakh employable people over the age of 15.
Of this, 26 lakh 77 thousand were unemployed. From the unemployed, 10 lakh 43 thousand young men and women with HSC and higher degrees are failing to get a job.
Shockingly, from the unemployed figure, 39 per cent are educated.
A graduate from the Bio-chemistry department of a private university, who currently works for the quality control section of Square Pharmaceuticals, says: “I studied Biochemistry and wanted to work in my discipline; but now find that my work has no relation with my academic subject.”
After graduating, most men and women do not find the preferred job. Sometimes, employing firms do not know what is taught in a subject, which creates problems later on.
To identify skill deficiency, an assessment is being carried out for the last one and a half years by Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) on 810 departments of 69 universities.
Based on the eventual findings, reforms will be carried out in curriculum.
Dr. Sajoy Kumar Adhikary, head of HEQEP, says: “the aim of the project is to identify the weakness of students, departments and teachers.”
The UGC has already been asked to formulate an ideal curriculum template and supply it to all departments to facilitate curriculum reforms.
Reportedly, some institutions have already begun reforms based on HEQEP suggestions.
The suggestions include: updating curriculum, training for teachers, tackling classroom crisis and organising career counseling seminars.
Department of Bengali of DU has carried out the research. Talking on the matter, Dr. Syed Azizul Huq, who was part of the programme, said: “after assessment, we made some suggestions and the main demand is for reforms in curriculum.”
It’s (curriculum) being modernized, so students are able to match their academic field with the work they are doing.
Noted educationist, Dr. Syed Anwar Hossain, told Bangla Tribune: “there are flaws in the entire education system of the country; skills and talent are not properly acknowledged here.”
He suggested a radical reform in the education system.
Meanwhile, chairman of the University Grants Commission, UGC, Professor Abdul Mannan, told Bangla Tribune: “the main aim seems to obtain a certificate which is different from skills development.”
Students are learning a specific subject but not its practical application, he lamented.
We must shed the ‘certificate obtaining’ tendency and make education practical, he observed.