Time to introduce a summer jobs programme in Bangladesh?

The current state of education and employment for young people in Bangladesh does not inspire hope. News headlines lament the lack of quality education and the chronic unemployment rate which, according to the World Bank, for 15 to 24-year-olds stands at a whopping 14.7%.

The economy is facing a massive shortage of work skills, which, if one is to probe and study, can point to institutional and government failures in investing in the country's youth as the leading causes. In effect, teens and young adults are disillusioned with their future and lack financial stability.

There is a lack of larger systematic support to receive job training, career preparation and financial security. To that end, I bring forth the case for looking towards a more localised American-style developmental strategy that focuses on a grassroots attempt on building a strong workforce for young people that can work for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's current model for economic growth has seeped into supply-side economics which is based on, essentially, improving an economy through the lens of improving business with privatisation, tax breaks and deregulation. While it has helped Bangladesh become a model example of development in the global community, the underlying material reality for young Bangladeshis has been the opposite.

The export-oriented economy has not trickled down any external spillover to the upcoming labour force and instead, unsurprisingly, has concentrated gains or benefits for the older and privileged few.

It is time for policymakers to shift to the demand side of economic development by focusing on human capital rather than financial capital.

In the United States, this model is called Workforce Development which emphasises people rather than business through the investment of an individual's career skills by providing jobs and other programmes subsidised by the government and nonprofits.

The City of New York's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) has been one the best case studies of the Workforce Development approach. Every summer, thousands of youth (ages 14-24) from the city apply through a lottery system while certain demographics such as low-income and out-of-school youth have their own special entry process.

Partnering non-profit organisations assist in the administrative aspects of the programme. Young people work in summer camps, schools, parks, public offices and even corporate-level internships with minimum wages paid by the city's government funded through a mix of tax grants and private donations.

Participants gain literacy skills, financial autonomy, professional etiquette, and a space to bond with their peers. Bangladesh, in conjecture with the national and local authorities, can pilot a similar lottery-based guaranteed jobs plan during the school vacation seasons for the same age range.

Counterarguments may contend that Bangladesh, both on a national and local level, can not replicate such a summer jobs programme on a scale that the US does due to its weaker bureaucratic agencies. Some may assert that Bangladesh's already low education budget may be more of a priority. In addition, cities like Dhaka do not have the same amount of proper and safe public spaces as NYC for the young to work in and private partners may be reluctant to participate. 

But for Bangladesh to take on a prudent approach, policymakers ought to understand that it is not sufficient to only fund the school system and expect results. Education cannot be restricted to the classroom and notebook but rather be offered in an immersive environment. 

Decades of regurgitated information in an endless cycle of back-breaking national exams have done little for young people to prepare for their life. Studies have also shown that such programmes have helped reduce violence amongst youth and, overall, create an environment for employers to have a safer return on investment. 

A proposed summer jobs programme does not need to be centralised. In the US, every city and state has their own youth jobs and training programmes with differing budgets and models which can be more fiscally sound (see: Los Angeles and Baltimore's summer programmes).

It is not to say Bangladesh has no institution in place in terms of workforce building or that there is a lack of a national conversation on the matter. I am far from the first to talk about the issue. The country also has no shortage of trade schools, training centres and vocational programmes. 

In fact, the Ministry for Youth & Sports has existing training programmes for the unemployed, however, these programmes, ultimately, do not hold much water if there is no learning on the job nor if they do not have a larger reach beyond a small subside of the population. 

In addition, many of these vocational centres are mostly private and NGO-funded. According to a 2010 report by the OECD and ILO, the government must be the main coordinator of bringing together employers and prospective employees. This is where a summer jobs programme is a strong policy prescription as it equalizes and brings together information between young people and the industries they could possibly work in. In turn, employers have insights into talent in areas they would not have otherwise known about.

Proactive public institutions motivate civil society to preserve support and strengthen the bureaucracies that deliver these services. This successful cooperation and reciprocity in trust have been seen in New York and across many states, and the same results can be seen in nations like Bangladesh. 

The government must step in to build the infrastructure, build partnerships and bear the brunt of the costs in order to build faith in its young people and with employers. A 'Dhaka Youth Employment Programme' may seem improbable as Bangladesh's structural conditions have not matured yet. Whatever strategy is taken, the underlying point here is uplifting people before a business is a way forward to building the workforce of the 21st century. 

The American model is not perfect, but studying their local governments' methods towards building a strong labour market can teach us new and efficient policies for our youth – an attempt from the bottom up can be the best way to make those ameliorated structural conditions a reality rather than waiting for them to simply come in time.

Aamer Tahseen. Sketch: TBS

Aamer Tahseen is currently working for the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development's Workforce Unit.