Vocational Skill Development in Bangladesh: Practice of Selected Trade Courses and Its Role in Trainees’ Employability

Abstract

The main focus of the study was to explore the practice of selected vocational trade courses including exploring the existing communication between vocational training organizations and relevant industry sectors in ensuring the proper usages of vocational trainings in the relevant industry sector and increasing the possibility of employability of the target groups. This study applied mixed research approach and necessary data were collected using data collection methods like, FGD, Interview, Observation and Survey as per Mixed Research Approach. The participants of the study were the relevant people from Vocational Skill Development sector, e.g. higher officials from BTEB, Principals and Trainers, current trainees and graduates of different vocational training courses from the Technical Training Centers and higher officials from the relevant industry sectors. Through analyzing the collected data major findings emerged in the specific areas of the research questions of the study. For example, pedagogical practice of theoretical and practical classes of vocational training courses are different from each other, the current pedagogical practice of vocational training courses give more emphasis on theoretical part of the course rather than the practical part, a few training organizations started to offer the vocational training courses under NTVQF, in many cases they are just offering only the RPL courses, most of the training organizations are not well equipped with necessary tools and equipment required for practical classes, the industry sectors do not have any kind of communication and connection with the vocational training organizations, even for recruitment they do not communicate with the vocational training organizations and there is gap between supply-side and demand-side of vocational trainings and relevant skills.