British Council's Latest Endeavour

Achieving our vision of Bangladesh as an advanced nation depends on creating an efficient delivery system for skills training and education. Keeping this in mind, the British Council, in partnership with the National Skills Development Council Secretariat, hosted a symposium on 'Access Points & Progression Pathways – Routes to success in Education, Employment & Skills' at the British Council Auditorium in Dhaka on October 19 and 20, 2015.

The event commenced with a presentation highlighting the key findings of a recent research on 'Next Generation Bangladesh – Voices, Aspirations and Perspectives of the Youths'. The topics of the panel discussion encompassed the importance of quality education and adequate training for teachers along with employability, skills development, vocational training and more.

In his welcoming speech, Adrian Greer, Chief Operating Officer at British Council said, "The British Council is working with the governments of Bangladesh and other countries in the region to develop and provide the young people with the necessary skills so that they can play an effective, crucial role in making their countries and the world a better place." 

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid also attended the event. He said, "The outcome of the Global Education Dialogue conference by the British Council will contribute to the development of favourable policies and skills development systems in Bangladesh that could facilitate enhanced employment and educational opportunities for the youth. The recommendations are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal and the priorities of the Bangladesh Government." 

Other distinguished guests were Robert W Gibson CMG, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Salauddin Kasem Khan, President, Bangladesh Employers' Federation and Managing Director, A.K. Khan and Co. Ltd.; and A.B.M. Khorshed Alam, CEO (Additional Secretary), National Skills Development Council Secretariat of Bangladesh. 

The final day of this conference paid attention to the relationship involving the policymakers, academia, employer engagement, and modular qualifications. The event wrapped up with a summation of overall discussions and recommendations for improvements. The symposium was the first of its kind in Bangladesh, and is part of British Council's consistent attempts in contributing to the country's education and employment sector.

This Global Education Dialogue was designed to get influencers and fundamental policymakers to discuss how to ensure that young people today can avail the best of education opportunities and be a part of Bangladesh's workforce tomorrow. 

Azman Anju Khan Chowdhury is the founder of Durnibar Foundation, a youth-based non-profit organisation. He loves to spread smiles across the faces of those who are ignored by society. Follow his explorations on Facebook at www.facebook.com
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