Migrant workers departing from Bangladesh for overseas employment face many challenges. The skills learnt by Bangladeshi migrant workers during overseas employment are not recognized by employers in Bangladesh, nor formally recognized by employers overseas, making progression into skilled positions, at home and abroad, difficult. This phenomenon contributes to underemployment and reduces the positive impact of migration for Bangladeshi migrant workers and the Bangladeshi economy.
In order to contribute to the economic and social development of Bangladesh through maximising the benefits of migration for sending and receiving countries, this project will support the implementation of the National Skills Development Policy (NSDP) and ensure the implementation of its Chapter 18 by building the capacity of the Government of Bangladesh.
Specifically, the project will result in two outcomes:
1. Efficient and ethical recruitment practices will be promoted through increased availability of information and data on recruitment and job opportunities. The project will build the capacity of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) to ethically collect employment related information from employers in a selected destination country and disseminate the information to migrant workers in Bangladesh.
2. Bangladeshi Migrant workers will gain skilled employment based on newly completed qualifications. For this purpose, a pilot project, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)’ will be implemented for migrant workers returning to Bangladesh.
Lastly, the project will seek to engage with overseas employers to ensure a market-responsive information system, to harmonize qualifications standards and create best practices for integrated labour migration management.