A special consultative workshop was held on Thursday, 23 April, at the a2i office located in the ICT Tower in Agargaon in the capital, aimed at enhancing the professional skills of the country’s highly educated students and effectively engaging them in government internship programs.
The meeting, chaired by Md. Abdur Rafiq, Project Director (Additional Secretary) of a2i, discussed in detail the effectiveness of the “National Intelligence for Skills, Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship (NISE)” platform in implementing the government’s “Internship Policy 2023.”
Although a large number of students graduate each year, a visible gap is emerging between education and employment due to the lack of opportunities—particularly within government institutions—to gain practical experience. To address this challenge and to enhance students’ employability by linking academic knowledge with real-world work experience, the government has taken the initiative to implement this internship policy.
At the workshop, the NISE platform was presented as a promising digital solution. It was stated that this technology would create an effective bridge among students, educational institutions, and recruiting organizations. Through digital processes, it will be possible to determine internship demand, receive applications, conduct nominations and selections, as well as ensure supervision and evaluation of trainees’ work.
Joint Project Director of a2i, Md. Rashidul Mannaf Kabir, highlighted the challenges of implementing internships in government institutions.
On the other hand, Professor Dr. Md. Mostafa Akbar of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Dean Dr. A.H.M. Ruhul Quddus of National University discussed existing limitations and potential solutions from the perspective of educational institutions.
Additionally, consultants Abdullah Al Fahim and Salahuddin Mohammad Ujjal delivered presentations on the background of the workshop and the technical aspects of the digital platform.
Representatives from the ICT Division and various policymaking bodies emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional capacity and developing an efficient management framework for this process. Representatives from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and experts from relevant sectors agreed that only through coordinated efforts and a digital monitoring system can internship programs be made accessible and effective for students at the grassroots level.
DBTech/MZU/EK/OR
