Employability of post-secondary TVET in Bangladesh : tracking survey of graduates of polytechnics

With a bulging youth population, Bangladesh has a great opportunity to reap the benefits of the large and growing working population. Meantime, the country's labor market has been evolving. More than ever, employers are demanding higher skilled workers who meet their business needs. Greater access to high quality and relevant technical training opportunities would be essential to supply high-skilled manpower, and improvement of the quality and relevance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is urgently needed. However, little evidence is available in Bangladesh with regard to the labor market outcomes of TVET graduates and alignment of trained skills with employers' needs. This study investigates into the employment outcomes of polytechnic graduates in Bangladesh and employers' perception about graduates' skills. Based on the findings, the study then presents recommendations to improve the quality and labor market relevance of polytechnic education in Bangladesh.