BOOMING BANGLADESH : Opportunity

Major tangible asset that Bangladesh has its manpower. In excess of 47 million which is roughly 30% of the total population of 158 million is youth from the age of 18 to 24. These vast bank of youth need to be channeled through towards contributing into the exchequer of the country. As well as getting to make a career for themselves too.

​The West is suffering from a mammoth shortage of manpower in its service oriented industries. Specially in the Europe, and UK. There is just an acute shortage of many other fields inter alia service sector. The main shortage as per the financial times newspaper(Nov 8, 2018) is Hospitality, Leisure and Service, IT, Construction, Healthcare. Although in the UK the employment to population ratio is all time high yet these important sectors are suffering from a shortage of people to employ. Mainland Europe has massive demand for Service, Building and Labour jobs(Financial Times, 26 Nov 18). It is imperative that Bangladeshi private and government sectors proactively gives a deeper look into these to identify the potential of this ever growing markets.

​Service sector alone can perhaps absorb in excess of 2- 3 million employees from places like Bangladesh. Europe is a major tourist attraction into the whole world and which attracts in excess of 1.4 billion tourists per year. It is one of the biggest sources of revenue for the whole of European and Scandinavian states. There are other neighbouring countries who are very proactive to tap into this growing sector and they have been relatively successful as well.

Our country is missing out in sundry segments which are not at all explored. Due to some unfounded and un researched red tape is not allowing our youth and students to get employment in the fast growing sectors of yachts and cruise liners. This sector has seen phenomenal growth over the last 10 years. For these kinds of employment the employees need a CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificate) which is available in all almost all other countries in the world but not in our country. If a passenger of a ship does not need a CDC why then a waiter or a security guard or chef or a laundry man intends to work in the ships, cruise liners and the merchant ships will not be allowed to obtain a CDC. As it is an integral part of the world maritime law. In the UK anyone can obtain a CDC with an employment letter. If he has the right kind of employment contract to work in the ships? The cruise line industry is $150 Billion industry and it pays around $45 billion worth of wages. These jobs in the liners are predominantly taken up by youth after their studies or during study breaks and many take them as permanently. This is a great potential sector. Although, future employees have to be motivated to repatriate after completion of their tenure. This trend must have to be practised by all future prospective employees. I have found in Venice and Italy that people from our neighbouring countries are working in those ships & yacths which I saw during my last holiday in Italy in August 2019.

​The service sector in Hospitality and leisure segment need chefs, waiters, Chef de rang, chef de party, cook, bar tender, room service and house keeping jobs. There is acute shortage too. Let alone talk about additional sectors.

​Our country needs to have a holistic look into these growing value added sector of opportunity and set up world class institutions and with world standard curriculum in association with hoteliers and leisure tour operators in Bangladesh with proper spoken English, French and German training. An intensive training regime of 1 year will produce world class employees employable by any world class conglomerates operating in those sectors.

​However, the mindset ought to have the strict urge to repatriate once the contract ends. Otherwise, it will yet again infuriate the employers and countries to form a different view on the overall countrymen’s future travels. That is an essential motivation which needs 100% attention.

​Youth is the future of our nation and multi faceted employment avenues at home and abroad are the only route to absorb them in jobs to boost the economy, earn revenue, provide a social safety net and build a self sufficient stronger society.

With a comprehensive plan of action from setting up relevant institutions, building partnerships with the potential future employers, working in collaboration, creating a synergy of work and ethics and promoting multi nation multi lateral ties to have work visa arrangements will bring a multi billion dollar window of opportunity of employment for our youth.

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[the writer is the Founder & CEO of a Think- Tank and NGO. http://www.c-ppp.org]