NSDA Signs MoUs with Four Major Universities to Foster Future-Ready Workforce
The National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), under the Prime Minister’s Office, has entered into formal agreements with four prominent public universities to jointly develop a skilled human resource base through mutual collaboration. These institutions include Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), National University (NU), and Bangladesh Open University (BOU).
The memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed on Saturday, May 3, at the NSDA conference room in Agargaon, Dhaka. Signing on behalf of their respective institutions were NSDA Executive Chairman (Secretary) Nasreen Afroz; BUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruddoza; RUET Dean of ASE Professor Md. Abdul Kader Jilani; NU Vice-Chancellor Professor A. S. M. Amanullah; and BOU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A. B. M. Obaidul Islam.
The MoUs aim to enhance students’ professional and technical skills, strengthen industry-academia collaboration, and develop a robust national skills ecosystem. Under these agreements, opportunities will be created for students to undertake short courses, professional training, and workplace-oriented skill development programs alongside their regular academic curriculum. The initiative will also encompass skill-awareness campaigns, national and international labor market surveys, sectoral human resource demand assessments, and efforts to improve employability skills.
Joint efforts between NSDA and the partnering universities will include employment-focused training, evaluation, and the issuance of competency certificates. Additionally, international trainers will be engaged to prepare students for global employment opportunities. Competency standard development, curriculum enhancement, training-of-trainers (ToT), and master trainer initiatives will also be undertaken collaboratively.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office, M. Siraj Uddin Miah, addressed the event as the chief guest and emphasized the importance of implementing the “Three-Zero” strategy of the Principal Adviser. “In today’s technological world, the opportunity for technology transfer has emerged. We must give special attention to this area,” he stated. Citing the example of the Japanese language, he said, “Many of our youth have acquired proficiency in Japanese and are now working across various sectors in Japan.” He further noted, “Our human resource is a valuable asset. If we can enhance their skills, new avenues for manpower export will open, not only to the Middle East but also to developed countries, where our skilled professionals have already proven their capabilities.”
He stressed that in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, essential steps must be taken to sustain employment opportunities amid increased automation in competitive industries. He also underlined the need to identify and implement the necessary actions to harness the demographic dividend. “This MoU will play a key role in mutual collaboration to equip young people with the skills needed for current and future professions,” he said, highlighting the need to focus on skill training at the university level to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
NSDA Executive Chairman Nasreen Afroz remarked, “NSDA is working tirelessly to develop skilled human resources based on domestic and international labor market demands, retrain workers in line with technological shifts, and expand employment opportunities. These MoUs mark a new chapter of collaboration between NSDA and the country's leading universities, which will significantly contribute to national human resource development.”
The signing ceremony was attended by treasurers, deans, and registrars from the participating universities, senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and NSDA, as well as representatives from various Industry Skills Councils (ISCs).
Notably, on June 4 last year, NSDA also signed similar agreements with the University of Dhaka and Jahangirnagar University.
