Skills gap impacts competitiveness in global market, experts warn

The country's workforce notably lacks future job skills in digital and green technologies which would lower the productivity and competitiveness in the global market, stakeholders have said.

Many skills are getting obsolete at a faster rate while some new skills are replacing them in the midst of emerging disruptive technologies in the fast-changing today's world, they added.

According to a recent global report, employers today require a workforce with a skillset that did not exist 20 years ago. Artificial intelligence (AI), digital and green skills have all come to the fore.

Bangladesh ranked 61st, out of 83 countries, indicating its weaker position in terms of adopting new skills, according to the report styled 'QS World Future Skills Index 2025'.

The first edition of the report evaluated the readiness of higher education systems of the countries to meet the evolving demands of the job market. Bangladesh scored overall 49.1 out of 100 points in the first edition of the index released in January 2025.

The index assessed countries across some key indicators, where Bangladesh scored 39.1 points in 'skills fit', 65.7 points in 'academic readiness' and 42.6 points in 'future of work' categories.

However, Bangladesh is one of the early adopters of the AI national strategies as the country released in 2019. Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the publisher of the report, is a London-based global higher education research platform.

According to the report, skills like AI proficiency, digital literacy and environmental sustainability will form the bedrock of tomorrow's industries.

"Countries that fail to adapt risk losing their competitive edge and missing opportunities for economic growth," it said.

When asked about this issue, bdjobs.com CEO AKM Fahim Mashroor said a huge gap prevails in the country's education system and industry needs.

"As far as I know, universities here don't teach subjects like AI and green technologies," he told the FE.

The idea of green technology is still nascent here. But it is becoming important day by day to ensure the optimum use of resources like water and energy to run manufacturing, according to Mr Fahim.

"International buyers are also shifting to such companies who are greener in their manufacturing process," he said, adding that this is crucial for competitiveness.

The tech entrepreneur stressed the need for a strong collaboration among stakeholders, including public and private sectors.

The National Skills Development Authority or NSDA, a government agency to administer skill-related activities, has been conducting studies to identify the extent of gaps in different sectors, says an official. There is still a social taboo with skilling in new trade, he asserts.

"Though there has been some progress," according to the official, "it is still evident that many hold confusions in new and technical skills."

Contacted, Shahir Chowdhury, founder and CEO of education technology platform Shikho, says skill gap is not only a challenge for institutions, but it also reveals symptoms of a broken system.

"The reality is we don't hire people based on a checklist of skills. We look for people with intelligence, curiosity and the ability to learn-because the skills we need today won't be the ones we need tomorrow."

Upskilling human resources after hiring by a company is also crucial to shorten the gap.

"At Shikho," Mr Shahir shares, "we invest in building the talent we can't find. We train, we upskill, we empower."

The rise of automation, data analytics and AI-powered systems will require people who can build, adapt and think beyond traditional frameworks, he notes, asserting that the ability to work with AI, not against it, will be crucial.

In addition to a strong collaboration between industry and academia, government policies should also be aligned with needs and trends, according to the tech expert.

"Tax incentives for companies that invest in workforce training, funding for AI and digital literacy programmes, and regulatory flexibility for new education models will be critical."

Bangladesh's edge will not come from just producing more graduates-it will come from creating thinkers, builders and relentless learners, opines Mr Shahir.

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