GenTec Education Model for a Prosperous and Unemployment-free Bangladesh

“The world is entering the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. With the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and automation, employment in many traditional occupations has come under threat or disappeared. At the same time, opportunities for employment are emerging in new fields. In this reality, there is no alternative to building an education system that is skills-based, technology-driven and career-oriented, rather than dependent on qualifications alone.”
- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh

“For decades, young people have been told that only a university or college degree leads to success, not technical education. I disagree with this view. Fundamental changes to the education system are needed to address young people’s problems and the unemployment crisis in Britain. I want an education system in which general or academic education and technical education have equal standing. As part of a fundamental change to the education system, I am announcing new opportunities for 14-year-old students. These will allow them to gain technical education, skills training and work experience, as well as direct contact with employers. The goal is for them to gain the knowledge and experience needed to secure good-quality, well-paid jobs while remaining in their local communities.”
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Britain

Not only in Britain or Bangladesh, but throughout the world, education and work are becoming increasingly interconnected. Rather than viewing education solely as a means of acquiring knowledge, we need to focus on an integrated approach that combines general and technical education. Whether we call it the 4th or 5th Industrial Revolution, robots will not be coming to your home to repair water, gas or electricity lines, nor will they take over nursing care for patients. In a future shaped by artificial intelligence, some jobs may disappear, but the importance of technical education will increase. For example, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing has fuelled a boom in data-centre construction, creating unprecedented demand for specialised workers such as electricians, construction workers, mechanics and project managers, often at high salaries.
If a graduate’s likelihood of finding employment or becoming an entrepreneur at home or abroad is 19%, that possibility could rise to 91% if the graduate also acquires two technical skills and language proficiency alongside their degree. This would enable graduates to start working in Bangladesh or overseas and contribute significantly to the socioeconomic development of themselves, their families and the country. We must also recognise a mistaken social perception of employment in Bangladesh: if someone does not work in an office or wear a tie and suit, we often do not consider it a job. In today’s digital and social-media-driven world, any income-generating activity can be considered work, ranging from online tutoring to selling products on social media from home. These activities can also generate a very respectable income.
One key difference between our education system and those of developed countries is that we think about employment too late. We often do not consider work until after completing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, or we have failed to create opportunities earlier. In developed countries, students in Years 8–12 of secondary school often acquire two or three vocational skills alongside their regular studies, such as medical assistance, automotive work, carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, nursing or other trades. If we adopted a similar approach, the skills and wages of our migrant workers-many of whom go abroad while still in high school or college-could increase, while a large skilled workforce would also be developed at home. If people acquire these skills later rather than at the age when they could already be working, an average of five to ten years of working time per person may be lost.
Another problem is that we do not think about every student. In a class of 100, typically only 10–20 students, or fewer, become doctors, engineers or officers. What happens to the other 80–90? In many cases, academic results are not closely related to employment prospects. Some people cite India as an example, pointing to the number of doctors, engineers and IT professionals who go abroad. But if they compare that number with the number of ordinary people who migrate, they will see that the ratio is about 1:4. Alongside the futures of the top 10–20 students in each class, policymakers should also consider the other 80–90 students. If these students gain technical skills alongside general education, they can find work at home or abroad, earn good incomes and support their families instead of remaining unemployed.
One of the biggest mistakes in our education system over the past 15 years has been the mass approval of universities. Bangladesh currently has approximately 61 public, 116 private and 3 international universities, a total of 180. Many universities are failing to produce a sufficiently skilled workforce. Graduate unemployment is now one of the country’s major problems. It is not possible to reduce this number overnight by changing or merging the system. Therefore, Bangladesh could adopt the ‘GenTec’ model, an integrated approach combining General (Gen) and Technical (Tec) education. To assess education’s national and international impact and contributions, this model would connect the National Intelligence for Skills, Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship (NISE-3) system with the education, Youth, employment, and Expatriates’ Welfare ministries, as well as Bangladesh’s embassies abroad, and regularly publish detailed reports.
At which education level the GenTec model would begin: Secondary school
The GenTec model should begin at secondary school. At this level, every student should acquire proficiency in two languages and one technical skill. At the higher-secondary level, students should acquire one additional skill. Technical skills do not necessarily involve working with metal or machinery; they can also be in digital fields. At the secondary and higher-secondary levels, language and technical skills may be at the basic or intermediate levels, while advanced proficiency should be attained at university.

Key features of the GenTec education model

What is it? An integrated approach to general and technical education
Alongside good language skills, students would complete certification programs in two recognised skills, with the foundations laid at secondary school. Two certification programmes, either in the same sector or from different sectors, could be completed in the first and second years, respectively. For example, a mechanical engineering student could complete trade courses in automotive work and driving; an electrical engineering student could take courses in electrical wiring and plumbing; and a social science student could complete courses in graphics, animation, video editing and carpentry. In the third and fourth years, students could obtain certification in two languages, such as English, Arabic, French, German, Japanese or Chinese. In most cases, the basic language courses would have been completed at secondary school. Students could choose from a pool of locally and nationally managed courses for language and trade certifications, but the skills attained by graduation should meet international standards.

Where would it operate? Through cooperation between educational institutions and technical and industrial sectors

Every university should have an approved or affiliated polytechnic and strong links with industry. For example, in Australia, Victoria University has Victoria Polytechnic; RMIT University has RMIT TAFE; Swinburne University has Swinburne TAFE; and Federation University has Federation TAFE. TAFE institutions provide technical and continuing education, somewhat like Bangladesh’s polytechnics. Similarly, most universities in the United States have affiliated community colleges for technical and vocational education. These polytechnics, TAFE institutions and community colleges offer a pool of skills-based certification programmes. Anyone, including a PhD graduate, a senior official, or an ordinary employee, can take courses at any time to upgrade their skills. People cannot complete a PhD or master’s degree three times, but they can take a certificate course whenever they need one while continuing to work. Large universities such as Harvard or Oxford may not have affiliated polytechnics, but they have strong industry networks. Our universities should consider these approaches to produce job-ready graduates in response to local, national, and international market needs.

How would it work? Through flexible blocks and career-oriented curricula

Curricula should be flexible, needs-based and up to date. Universities could introduce a flexible block model starting in the third year of bachelor’s degrees and at the beginning of master’s degrees. Under this model, students could take two undergraduate courses over eight weeks, or one master’s course over eight weeks. This flexibility would allow students to work part-time while studying, as is common in developed countries. It would help them gain experience and perform better in the workplace after graduation. Today, it is difficult to find many universities in developed countries offering research-only master’s degrees. Instead, they offer coursework-based master’s degrees, with research concentrated mainly at the PhD level. Millions of domestic and international students are attracted to these flexible master’s programs, which primarily produce job-ready graduates. Like bachelor’s programs, these master’s programs have become major drivers of their economies. Under an Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) scheme, some courses could be waived when students hold relevant certifications, for example, a Cisco Certified Network Associate certification in place of an introductory computer-networking course, or an Oracle certification for a basic database course.

How would it be funded? Through a sustainable Higher Education Contribution Scheme

In Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, the total tuition cost of a bachelor’s degree in medicine can be BDT 20–30 million; engineering and IT can cost BDT 15–20 million; and other fields can cost no less than BDT 10 million. Master’s programs cost around BDT 5–10 million. These countries set tuition-fee bands according to subject area. In Bangladesh, universities could be classified into three or four categories under a National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), and government subsidies and full-fee options could then be considered across five to seven subject bands. For example, tuition fees for medical students in Bangladesh might be BDT 1.5 million, BDT 1 million for engineering students and BDT 0.5 million for other undergraduates. Students would continue to pay what they could afford, with the remaining amount recorded in their individual identification accounts. This would form a Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), widely used in developed countries. To make appropriate decisions about tuition fees, each student and parent would need a tax file number at enrolment and would have to lodge tax returns regularly. As a result, almost everyone in the country would become involved in the tax system as needed. After graduation, once employed at home or abroad and earning more than the country’s average wage, graduates would repay the outstanding tuition amount in instalments. For example, the state spends at least BDT 0.5–1 million per year on each student at BUET or Dhaka Medical College. When graduates secure good jobs at home or abroad, they should repay their educational contributions over time. This is not a loan in the usual sense, but a contribution to the country. No contribution scheme would be needed at secondary or higher-secondary level; those stages would continue to be funded through direct government allocations.
Successful implementation of the GenTec model could increase remittance flows eight- to tenfold over the next decade. Once the model matures in five to ten years, significant income could begin to come from domestic and international students. By then, at least Category 1 universities in Bangladesh could be positioned to provide high-quality education and training to regional and international students-particularly from SAARC countries, Africa, Asia and the Middle East-through online and blended learning. It is therefore essential to introduce the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) quickly to ensure a competitive educational environment. New public and private universities with limited income and impact could contribute more effectively to the economy by partnering with others and producing skilled graduates.
Bangladesh is expected to achieve a strong position in global indices by 2050, but this will not be sustainable without good educational institutions. If policymakers adopt an effective model such as GenTec, remittances could increase significantly and at least 50 universities could strengthen their positions in global rankings by 2050. Building the ‘Education Bangladesh’ brand worldwide would then be a viable and realistic possibility.
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The writer is an expert on Technical Education, Digital Learning and Cyber Security.

He writes from Melbourne, Australia.