698 Bangladeshis ready for jobs in Europe under EU talent partnership

Dhaka: Nearly 700 Bangladeshi skilled workers have completed internationally recognized training and are now ready for legal employment in Europe under the Bangladesh-European Union Talent Partnership, marking a significant milestone in the country's efforts to promote safe and regular labor migration.

According to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, 698 workers have successfully completed technical training and received final certification from the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA). Trained in eight priority trades, they are prepared for employment in European labor markets, particularly Italy.

Many of the candidates are currently awaiting interviews as the government remains in close coordination with the Italian Embassy to facilitate their recruitment.

The achievement comes as the EU-funded "Supporting a Talent Partnership with Bangladesh" project completed its second year of implementation. The three-year initiative, running from July 2024 to June 2027 with a budget of EUR 3 million, is financed by the European Union and technically supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The project is jointly overseen by the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, with implementation led by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET). Other partner institutions include the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), the Directorate of Technical Education, the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), and BOESL.

At a high-level review meeting held on July 2, officials discussed integrating trainees' profiles into the Overseas Employment Platform to better match skilled Bangladeshi workers with labor demand in Italy and other European countries.

Speaking at the meeting, State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Nurul Haque stressed the need to further strengthen the Overseas Employment Platform to ensure ethical and sustainable migration. He also directed officials to make the platform mobile-friendly to improve accessibility for job seekers.

The state minister said that since workers are being trained according to European standards, the government should expand opportunities beyond Italy and facilitate their employment in other European countries as well. He said the initiative would encourage more skilled Bangladeshis to migrate to Europe through legal and regular channels.

As part of the project's next phase, authorities will introduce Italian language training alongside a 10-day pre-departure orientation program. Officials also decided to establish an employer-matching pipeline that will directly connect certified graduates with international recruiters.

The review meeting was attended by ILO Chief Technical Adviser Lotte Keijzer, Additional Secretary of the Ministry Md Saiful Haque Chowdhury, BOESL Managing Director Md Saiful Islam, BMET Director General Jamil Ahmed, and other senior government officials.