To Get the Skills for Tomorrow, Join the Workforce Today!
Currently, I am an MBA Candidate and Leadership Fellow at Simon Business School, University of Rochester. Growing up in Bangladesh, I have always been passionate about bridging the unemployment gap with modern resources and am excited to be publishing some of my perspectives on Kormo’s blog.
Bangladesh is in the process of transforming itself into a high productivity economy. Skills development will play an essential role in enabling this transition and creating more jobs that fit the needs and interests of both employers and seekers. This reality comes with significant challenges today, luckily there is a path forward to tackle them!
First of all, there is no shortage of articles exposing the skills employers need from young workers are difficult to find. A World Bank report from 2018 states that employers are not satisfied with skills attributes of Bangladeshi youths to meet the dynamic shift taking place in the job sector. Major areas of skills gap as identified by industry leaders which are crucial to surviving today include (a) Higher-order cognitive skills and soft skills; (b) technical skills and knowledge for job; (c) Information technology skills; and (d) Foundational skills including basic literary, numeracy, and science knowledge.
In addition, World Bank’s skills survey report has consistently found skills such as problem-solving, communication, and taking responsibility are notable areas where employers see the majority of skills gap that businesses are facing. Beyond past employment experience, academic qualifications, and a third party reference, Professionalism is the quality employers are most interested in, likely because they believe that the skills necessary for the work can be trained. Interestingly, Kaizen, a local research agency’s survey of over 250 respondents revealed that the young job seekers are also aware of this with the majority believing the primary attribute employers look for when hiring is professionalism. This self-awareness is critical!
Now the question is how can we develop these skills and attributes which employers are demanding? “The best way to learn is by doing. The only way to build a strong work ethic is by getting your hands dirty” — this quote genuinely applies here. To develop professionalism, to create a past track record, and to have more and more future references — there is no alternative to joining the workforce. Now, depending on your situation this can be in different capacities including full time, part time, short/long contracts or even remote. The question is where do you find relevant opportunities?
For a long time, job market information has been far from adequate and not well connected with job seekers and skills providers in Bangladesh. This is where Kormo can have an impact by leveraging its technology platform to bridge this gap between seekers and employers. In Kormo, all jobs appear in an easy-to-use, personalized feed. Based on your preferences and uploaded CV, relevant jobs are recommended to you. Easy!
This is the next step to connecting the right people with the right opportunities to create personal, community, and national growth in Bangladesh.
