TIB for formation of national green-skills strategy for youths

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has stressed the need for a ‘national green-skills strategy’ to ensure youth participation in building sustainable Bangladesh.

“To ensure youth participation in building a sustainable Bangladesh, youths must be equipped with "green-skills" especially to ensure employment in a competitive labour market,” said a TIB release on Friday.

On the eve of the International Youth Day 2023, which will be observed worldwide on Saturday, the organization came up with an eight-point recommendation to impart the young workforce with "green-skills" in line with the demand of the now-a-days and ensure scopes of employment for them as one-fifth of the country’s population is youths.

The recommendations include formulation of a specific “National Green-Skill Strategy” engaging the relevant stakeholders and experts and adoption and implementation of short-, medium- and long-term action plans with priorities; and bringing changes in the education system incorporating renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, eco-friendly urban planning in it as well as enhancing teachers’ skills.

The recommendations also include imparting the youth folks with career-oriented and technical education as well as green-skills as per the demand of the international labour market; taking special measures to ensure special stimulation for insolvent and female students, disabled, tribal and disadvantaged communities to equip them with green-skills and vocational education; putting emphasis on green education and technical education alongside providing fund allocation to the education sector as per the recommendation of the United Nations.

The other recommendations are creating employment for youths through short-, medium- and long-term specific plans;  providing incentives for development of green entrepreneurs; and bringing changes in the organograms of all public and private organisations in line with green-skills.

On the occasion of the International Youth Day, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman stressed the need for the participation of youths in building sustainable Bangladesh.

He said the youths should be mastered in green-skills to use the environment-friendly technology and process to protect the country’s wildlife, biodiversity and environment and to deal with the adverse impacts of climate change.

So, formulation and effective implementation of "National Green-Skills Strategy" has now become indispensable, said the TIB Executive Director.