KOICA, BMET ink MoU to enhance skills development

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) on Sunday signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dhaka to advance skills training under the “Better Employment with Competency-Based Skills Training (BEST)” project.

The partnership brings together 13 large companies, 10 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association (BEIOA) in a public-private collaboration aimed at aligning technical training with industry needs, according to a press release.

Signed at a city hotel, the MoU seeks to institutionalize public-private cooperation to match training with industrial demand and build a workforce certified under the National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF).

KOICA Country Director Jihoon Kim said the initiative serves as a practical model of collaboration, offering direct employment opportunities for Bangladeshi youth.

The BMET Director General and the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment praised KOICA’s support, describing the MoU as a milestone in developing a globally competitive workforce.