International Conference on Skills for the Future World of Work and TVET for Global Competitiveness (ভবিষ্যত শ্রমবাজারের জন্য দক্ষতা আর বৈশ্বিক প্রতিযোগিতার জন্য টিভিইটি)    Keynote Paper 1: Promoting Skills for the Future World of Work Presented by AKMA Hamid, President, IDEB and Prepared by Abdur Rafique, Former Director General DTE and Chairman BTEB   Jointly Organized by The Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) and The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) Manila   July 27-29 2017  Venue: IEDB Bhabvan, Kakrial Dhaka

The Paper on Promoting Skills for the Future World of Work starts with the meaning of the word skill along with other relevant and inherent/inbuilt terms as task, job and occupation the prerequisite for the theme of the paper. With the brief explanation of the prerequisite terms the paper presents the: - Employed workforce skill, - Workforce productivity, - National standard classification of workforce, Skill standard classification of the workforce for developed countries and Challenges and potentials of Bangladesh along with recommendations

The BBS LFS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Survey) 2015 out of the working age population 58.1 million were employed with the major economic sector wise distribution of agriculture: 45%, services 34%, and industry 21%. Among the total unclassified employed workforce main sector wise distribution was: total informal 86.9% and formal 13.1% The educational qualification yet to gear up with the occupational needs of the employment market. The education achievement of the employed workforce was (in %): no education 21.3, primary 28.7, secondary 30.6, higher secondary 12.8, tertiary 6.1 and others 0.4

The BBS LFS report 2015 and the Quarterly LFS report 2017 in the introduction stated that the BBS has developed BSCO (Bangladesh Standard Classification of Occupation) in line with ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupation) but the employed workforce classification in both the reports has been presented not in the form of BESCO but in the BBS traditional way. If the BSCO could be developed by the BBS with active participation of the employment market and expert conversant with standard classification of occupations and maintained as national data base would be very much useful for the country including the development of the BQF (Bangladesh Qualification Framework) for the education and training programmes for matching the qualification with the occupations of the employment market leading to higher productivity and innovations.

Workforce productivity is a revealing indicator of several economic indicators as it offers a dynamic measure of economic growth, competitiveness, and living standards within an economy. It is the measure of workforce productivity (and all that this measure takes into account) which helps explain the principal economic foundations that are necessary for both economic growth and social development. Usually workforce productivity is defined as GDP (Gross Value added in market prices, or based on PPPs for comparison among countries) per hour worked that reflect regular hours worked by full-time and part-time workers, paid and unpaid overtime, hours worked in additional jobs, and time not worked because of public holidays, annual paid leaves, strikes and labour disputes, bad weather, economic conditions and other reasons.

National standard occupational classification of employed and upcoming workforce is essential precondition in order to compute the productivity of the workforce in the different sectors of the economic and services. Computation of sector wise productivity growth depends upon availability of sector wise data for real value added (in basic prices) and hours worked. As per the World Bank Report 2014 and presented in the 7th FYP comparative status of the productivity of Bangladesh workforce in service sector worked out from GDP (PPP) was: 23% of Thailand, 24% of Sri Lanka, 29% of China, 45% of India and 65% of Vietnam.

Based on the finding of the analyses of 7th FYP focusing employed workforce skill and performance of the education and training programme and findings of research and experiences of the fast developing and developed countries and focusing theme of the IEDB “Build Skill Bangladesh” a book on “Build Skill Bangladesh for Emerging Bangladesh as Developed Nation” ISBN: 978-984-34-2264-4 has been developed by the Team of Researchers and Professionals for transforming the employed and upcoming workforce tuned to the NTVQF/BQF as standard classified workforce for ensuring higher productivity and innovation

The 7th FYP has strongly recommended in Sector 11, Section 11 The 7th FYP has strongly recommended in Sector 11, Section 11.5 to accelerate implementation of the on-going standard classification of the workforce according to the NTVQF (National Technical Vocational Qualification Framework) six skill standard levels of the NSDP 2011 (National Skill Development Policy). The 7th FYP has also strongly recommended in Sector 2 Chapter 12 for application ICT (Information and Communication Technology) within the frame of the Digital Bangladesh. for flattening the traditional administrative hierarchy in both public and private sectors to leading higher productivity and single point delivery of product and services.

Starting from 2013 with the available support from ISCs (Industries Sector Councils), NSDCS (National Skill Development Council Secretariat) and TVET providers the BTEB (Bangladesh Technical Education Board) organized tests for employed and self-employed workforce also using RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) and awarded NTVQF Skill Standard Certificates of different levels including Industry Assessors to a total of 20,828 successful candidates in the skill levels of I to IV through the Registered Training Organizations (RTOs) and Accredited Testing Centres (ATCs). This achievement of the BTEB is yet to gear up with the vast demand of the employment markets.

The experiences of implementation of the NTVQF and research findings along with the experiences and research findings of the fast developing and developed countries have clearly demonstrated that the NTVQF should be transformed as BQF (Bangladesh Qualification Framework) raising the standards up to 10 levels as: 7 Professionals/para-professionals, 8 Professional planners and implementation policy makers, 9 Researchers and 10 Policymaker/ parliamentarian.

The international Standard Classification of Occupation (ISCO) for the workforce as agreed upon and recommended by the members of the United Nations with 10 (ten) levels having one level left out for the armed forces classification and the remaining 9 levels for the all categories of the civilian workforce starting from the lowest as cleaners to the policy makers/legislators. As there is operational flexibility within the frame of ISCO all the fast developing and developed countries have developed their civilian workforce classification either at 9 or 10 levels but Malaysia at 8 levels, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Sri Lanka and all the EU member states at 10 levels. The EU made publication of the standard classifications in 25 languages

Extracts from different sections of the national skill standard classification for workforce of Singapore, Canada, Australia and EU Member States have been selected and presented to explain partly the magnitude and volume of professional competences necessary for developing and using the standard classification. These extracts provide examples of the four countries: (a) Singapore and Canada: Classifications of occupational standards (b) Australia: Regulatory provision for ensuring standards of the higher education by providers (c ) EU Member states: How does ESCO benefit European citizens?

For SSCO (Singapore Standard Classification of Occupation) 2015 includes ten levels of the standard classification with the number of sub-major (two-digit), minor (three-digit) and unit (four-digit), 1 Legislators, Senior Officials and Managers 2 Professionals 3 Associate Professionals and Technicians 4 Clerical Support Workers 5 Service and Sales Workers 6 Agricultural and Fishery Workers 7 Craftsmen and Related Trades Workers 8 Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers 9 Cleaners, Labourers and Related Workers 9 Cleaners, Labourers and Related Workers 10 Workers Not Elsewhere Classified by Occupation  

Canada describes the structure and format of NOC (National Occupational Classification) 2016 only with the name of major groups, minor groups and unit groups with examples, categories, major, minor and unit groups. 10 broad occupational categories Each broad occupational category has a unique one-digit code number and is composed of one or more major groups. 40 major groups Each major group has a unique two-digitFootnote 1 code number and is composed of one or more minor groups. The first digit of this code indicates the broad occupational category to which the major group belongs 140 minor groups Each minor group has a unique three-digit code number and is composed of one or more unit groups. The first two digits of this code indicate the major group to which the minor group belongs. 500 Unit Groups Each unit group has a unique four-digit code. The first three digits of this code indicate the major and minor groups to which the unit group belongs.

Canada continued For example: 0 - Management occupations 00 - Senior management occupations 001 - Legislators and senior management 0011 - Legislators 0012 - Senior government managers and officials 0013 - Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services 0014 - Senior managers - health, education, social and community services and membership organizations 0015 - Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services, n.e.c. 0016 - Senior managers - construction, transportation, production and utilities

Australia Higher Education and the maintenance of academic standards for AQF (Australian Qualification Framework) 2015 as per the Act operative on 1st January 2012 The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 provides the national framework for regulating Higher Education and the maintenance of academic standards. The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards), are adopted under the Act and outline:   • Provider Registration Standards • Provider Category Standards • Provider Course Accreditation Standards • Qualification Standards. These standards must be met for a Provider and its courses to maintain registration.  

The AQF forms part of the Higher Education Threshold Standards, within the Qualification Standards. The Qualification Standards require self-accrediting institutions, such as University of South Australia, to demonstrate that: - Awards at all levels offered meet the AQF specifications - Appropriate certification documents are issued - Articulation, recognition of prior learning and credit arrangements meet AQF requirements.   The statutory regulator, TEQSA, will then judge if the Provider is compliant. It is important therefore, that the University has a clear understanding of its academic standards and how they demonstrate that the Qualification Standards have been met in a rigorous and consistent manner.

EU Member States show only the public benefit of ESCO (EU Standard Classification of Occupation), 2016. What is ESCO? ESCO is the multilingual classification of European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations. It identifies and category of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations relevant for the EU labour market and education and training, in 25 European languages. The cyclic sequence of ESCO Labour market – Occupations - Skills/Competences- Qualifications - Education/Training How does ESCO benefit European citizens? Employers, Job seekers, Learners, Workers and learners, Education and training providers, Human resource managers and employment services

The development status of any country in the world is dependent upon one of the key indicators measured by the achievement level of the competence of the national standard classified workforce. Workforce productivity is a revealing indicator of several economic indicators as it offers a dynamic measure of economic growth, competitiveness, and living standards within an economy. It is the measure of workforce productivity (and all that this measure takes into account) which helps explain the principal economic foundations that are necessary for both economic growth and social development.

The theme of the keynote paper 1 “Promoting Skills for the Future World of Work” is directly dependent upon understanding the meaning of skill the need and importance for developing the national standard classification of the employed and upcoming workforce and application thereof as the most valuable tool/instrument for living and competing in the present and future global world of work as developed nation. The theme of the paper and its implication is applicable not only for Bangladesh but for all the countries of the world whether underdeveloped, fast developing and developed. The challenges facing Bangladesh are required to be resolved and the potentials harnessed.

The challenges facing Bangladesh are: (a) Relating the education to the needs of the country and producing the properly trained and motivated citizen to serve those needs (b) Transforming the employed and upcoming workforce as per national standard classification. (c) Application of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) within the frame of the Digital Bangladesh for flattening the traditional administrative hierarchy in both public and private sectors and (d) Revising the NTVQF as BQF  

The most significant potential of the country is the highest number of working age population of 128 million occurring by 2030, the year of the least dependency in 100 years from 2000 -2100. Harnessing of this has been embedded in the projection of the employed and upcoming workforce in three phases each with duration of 5 (five) years or more each for the proposed the short term, medium term and long term plan for emerging Bangladesh as developed nation before target date.

The general objective of this conference on “Skills for the Future World of Work and TVET for Global Competitiveness” with 8 (eight) specific objectives “ Eenvisages to establish a TVET network for encouraging exchange of experiences and research findings and innovations among the participating countries including CPSC member states for mutual benefit and sustainable development”. The outcome of this conference as such expected to be very useful for the mutual benefit and resolving the challenges and harnessing the potentials.

The “Build Skill Bangladesh for Emerging Bangladesh as Developed Nation” has recommended That the Government should take immediate steps to start with for promulgation/amendment of the 10 (ten) Acts/ Ordinances and operationalization thereof for resolving the challenges facing Bangladesh with a view to ensuring growth acceleration for emerging Bangladesh as the developed nation even before the target date. Out of the 10 (ten) recommended Acts/Ordinances 4 (Four) are for the public and private sectors Governance of the education and training programme and the 6 (Six) covering Governance all the other public and private sectors.

The 4 (four) recommended Acts/Ordinances for the Governance of education and training programme and each of the Acts/Ordinances will have in-built provision of five/six statutory organizations. These 4 (Four) Acts/Ordinances are: 1. Right To Education Act (in place of redundant Primary Education Act 1990), 2. Amendment of the UGC Ordinance/Act 1973 and University Acts, 3. National Skill Development Authority Act (For NSDC as per Ex. Order 2008) and 4. National Education and Training Assessment Authority Act (In place of the Bangladesh Technical Education Act 1967)