The “Supporting a Talent Partnership with Bangladesh” project, aimed at ensuring ethical, regular, and safe migration of skilled manpower between Bangladesh and the European Union, has completed its second year.
According to the press statement, the project funded by the European Union with technical assistance from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the 3-million-euro project is being implemented for the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2027.
Details regarding the overall progress and success of the initiative were released recently on the occasion of its second anniversary.
The project is being conducted under the joint patronage of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Technical and Madrasah Education Division. It is being effectively implemented at the field level through the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).
Other partner organisations involved include the National Skills Development Authority, the Directorate of Technical Education, the Bangladesh Technical Education Board, and BOESEL.
According to a progress report published in June 2026, the project has already achieved unique milestones. A total of 698 workers who completed technical training have been officially recognised as qualified by the National Skills Development Authority in accordance with international standards.
These individuals are fully prepared for deployment across eight major trades in the European market, specifically in Italy. Constant communication is being maintained with the Italian Embassy to facilitate their placement in various sectors, and many candidates are currently awaiting interviews.
A high-level review meeting was held on Thursday to discuss the effective integration of trainee data into the “Overseas Employment Platform” to match the demands of Italy and other European nations.
During the meeting, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Hoque said the activities of the “Overseas Employment Platform” must be further enhanced to ensure sustainable and ethical migration.
He placed special emphasis on making the platform mobile-friendly to increase its effectiveness and accessibility.
The State Minister further said as the workers are being trained to European standards, arrangements should be made to send them to other European countries in addition to Italy. He remarked that the project would greatly encourage the country’s skilled workers to migrate to Europe through legal channels.
Future priority activities for the project include Italian language training and the finalisation of a 10-day Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) manual.
Furthermore, a decision was reached to establish an “employer-matching pipeline” to create direct links between certified graduates and international recruitment agencies.
The meeting was attended by ILO Chief Technical Advisor Lotte Kejser, Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Additional Secretary Md Saiful Haque Chowdhury, BOESEL Managing Director Md Saiful Islam, BMET Director General Jamil Ahmed and other senior officials of the ministry.
