The EU-funded €3 million Talent Partnership project was launched on Wednesday in Dhaka, aiming to bridge skills gaps, reduce migration costs, enhance opportunities for Bangladeshis, and supply skilled workers to the EU labour market.
Bangladesh has over 7.4 million migrant workers, sending home €2 billion in remittances every month. The project aims to prepare 3,000 workers through training to meet EU employment requirements.
Implemented over three years by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE), and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), the project focuses on creating safe and dignified legal pathways for migration to Europe while reducing irregular migration.
It will facilitate skills matching between the EU Member States’ labour markets and Bangladesh to ensure that workers meet EU standards.
Additionally, the project will strengthen MoEWOE’s online job-matching platform, improving access to job opportunities for skilled job seekers. Asif Nazrul, adviser for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, highlighted that the project would ensure workers’ safety while boosting remittances for Bangladesh.
Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO Country Director, emphasised the project’s role in skill development, focusing on technical upskilling and fair recruitment.
Michael Miller, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh, stressed the transformative impact of the Talent Partnership, aiming for safe migration, human rights protection, and effective reintegration while addressing irregular migration and trafficking.
At the launch, stakeholders endorsed the project’s objectives and strategies, calling for continued public and private sector collaboration between Bangladesh and EU Member States to overcome challenges and ensure the success of the Talent Partnership.
