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A stakeholder consultation workshop on blended technical and vocational education and training in Bangladesh was held at the central conference hall of Bangladesh Open University in Gazipur on Monday.

A joint initiative by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, Commonwealth of Learning, Canada and the BOU, the opening session of the conference was graced by chairman of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh Professor SMA Faiz as chief guest.

He said that the rapid changes in technology, industry and skill training across the world highlighted the need to modernise and made Bangladesh’s TVET system more inclusive and responsive to these changes.

‘The blended learning approach that combines online and face-to-face learning opens new possibilities in this sector,’ he said, adding, ‘The University Grants Commission believes that such stakeholder consultation workshops at Bangladesh Open University will play a key role in formulating quality, competency-based and labour-market-oriented education policies.’

The session was chaired by Professor ABM Obaidul Islam, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University.

He said that TVET played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s development. ‘By providing our youth with the appropriate skills, we can create employment opportunities for them and contribute to the country’s overall economic development.’

He also said that this could not be achieved through traditional methods alone. ‘We must integrate modern technologies and new teaching approaches.’

Siddique Zobair, senior secretary to the Ministry of Education and a member of BOU’s board of governors, said, “The Ministry of Education, particularly the department of secondary and higher education, is committed to the development of technical and vocational education in Bangladesh.’

M Shamsher Ali, Emeritus Professor and founder vice-chancellor of BOU, was a special guest at the event.

He said, ‘Bangladesh is moving forward in its journey of development, and there is no alternative to developing skilled human resources to accelerate this progress. TVET is the key tool for creating a skilled workforce. To keep pace with the changing demands of the times and technological advancements, we need to modernise and make the TVET system at Bangladesh Open University more effective.’

Director of CEMCA, India, Basheerhamad Shadrach, delivered the keynote address virtually.

He stated, ‘The process of implementing blended TVET in Bangladesh is of great significance, and I believe it will strengthen the country’s education system and make it internationally competitive.’

The opening session was followed by a welcome address delivered by Professor Dil Rowshan Zinnat Ara Nazneen, pro-VC for academics of BOU. The vote of thanks was presented by Professor Sayeed Ferdous, BOU pro-VC for administration. The event was moderated by Md Shafiqul Alam, registrar of BOU.