A staggering 74% of Bangladeshi youths are not taking any initiative to improve their skills to meet post-Covid-19 job market challenges, according to a survey.
The Bangladesh Youth Leadership Centre (BYLC), with support from Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the UK government, released the findings at a webinar on Saturday.
The study’s goal was to assess the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic on Bangladeshi youths, BYLC said in a press release issued on Sunday.
When Covid-19 hit Bangladesh, the government was prompt into prioritising remote learning strategies to keep education uninterrupted, yet the students’ learning was still affected by regional and institution-wise disparity in digital readiness, it said.
According to the study, Covid-19 has given rise to the demand for a whole new set of skills, but young people are yet to recognise the importance of acquiring such skills. Young entrepreneurs with limited capital struggled to stay operational during the pandemic.
Besides, 62% of the surveyed young entrepreneurs reported that they had to shut down their businesses temporarily or permanently due to the coronavirus outbreak. In the absence of low-cost funding, digital and physical infrastructure, and mentorship support, young entrepreneurs foresee the business landscape of the country as bleak for them.
As the youth are trying to disentangle the challenges posed by Covid-19 in their education, employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities, their mental and emotional well-being has suffered.
Also Read- BYLC roundtable on World Youth Skills Day: Creating jobs for new entrants the biggest challenge
A total 61% of the surveyed youths mentioned experiencing mental stress in the current situation, but only 20% of them took expert advice. Help-seeking behaviour was lower in women than men, mainly due to social taboos and family restrictions.
Speaking at the webinar as the chief guest, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury stressed the importance of vocational training for youths to address the gaps in skills and employment opportunities.
"It is essential for us to prioritize technical and vocational education, or else we will not be able to reap the benefits of demographic dividend,” he said.
The survey was conducted from April to September and 1,464 youths aged 18-35 across eight divisions of Bangladesh took part.
The respondents included students, fresh graduates, young professionals, and young entrepreneurs from public universities, private universities, colleges under National University, as well as Bangla and English medium schools.
Educators and industry experts were also consulted to suggest ways forward to address the challenges pertaining to employment, youth's experience of online education, entrepreneurial opportunities, and mental well-being during and after the pandemic.
The webinar was moderated by Ejaj Ahmed, President and Founder of BYLC.
Special guests Shaheen Anam, executive director at MJF, and Tina F Jabeen, managing director and CEO at Startup Bangladesh Limited, also spoke at the webinar.
