The government will launch an ‘Employment Exchange’ by December this year to connect job seekers with employers and develop a skilled workforce based on market demand, Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury said on Sunday.
“A decision has been made to launch the Employment Exchange this year, and we will create a database using both online and offline methods,” he said at a press briefing at Secretariat.
The initiative will initially be launched in Dhaka before expanding to the divisional and district levels, he said.
The minister said the government would assess the workforce needs of different industries and identify job seekers through job fairs and career fairs at colleges and universities.
“Insha'Allah, we will hold these job fairs within this year,” he added.
Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Spokesperson Mahdi Amin said the BNP pledged to introduce an Employment Exchange in its election manifesto.
He said discussions have been held over the past six months with representatives of industries, academia, NGOs, government agencies and development partners, and their feedback helped shape the government’s policy on the initiative.
Mahdi said the exchange would primarily coordinate supply and demand in the labour market.
It would maintain information on employable young people, including their skills and qualifications, while also collecting data on industries, businesses and institutions and their workforce requirements.
“We need to know what employable youth power we have—specifically, the number of young men and women in the job market seeking employment, and details regarding their skills and qualifications,” he said.
At the same time, he said, the government is developing a platform to map the local employment ecosystem, including industries, businesses and firms and the professional skills they require.
The government also plans to organise regular career fairs across the country, including at the district level, to strengthen links between industry and academia.
Job seekers will receive support with CV writing, interview preparation and improving their skills and qualifications and they will also be connected with relevant government agencies and ministries based on their needs, he said.
“Overall, our Employment Exchange will function as an employment-oriented ecosystem,” Mahdi said.
Those seeking employment abroad will be connected with relevant technical training centres or vocational education programmes based on their career goals and requirements.
Asked whether unemployed people registered with the exchange would receive unemployment allowances, Mahdi said the government’s immediate priority is to turn young people into a skilled workforce.
He said the issue of financial support would be considered later, taking into account the resources available to the government.
“Our initial effort is to transform our youth into a skilled workforce. Financial resources are involved here, and we will consider this in the days ahead,” he said.
