The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Korea’s leading development cooperation agency, successfully institutionalized a comprehensive Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE), 13 local large enterprises, 1 association, and 10 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and the Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association (BEIOA).

The formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) took place on Sunday at the Inter-Continental Dhaka.

This expanded agreement, a key component of the multi-year “Better Employment with Competency-Based Skills Training (BEST)” project (2018–2028, USD 8.5 million), establishes a practically guaranteed model of industry-academia cooperation aimed at directly aligning vocational training with industrial demand.

A foundational achievement of this initiative is the successful implementation of the Training-of-Trainers (TOT) program, resulting in Bangladeshi vocational trainers, for the first time, officially obtaining National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF) Level 3–4 certifications.

This marks the first official national recognition of vocational trainers meeting the highest industry-required competency levels, thereby institutionalizing the capability of Technical Training Centres (TTCs) to produce verified, high-quality human capital.

Under the MOU, the private sector partners commit to providing TTC trainees with:

• Tailored, practice-oriented training programs and curriculum feedback.

• Structured internship opportunities.

• Priority hiring pathways for graduates meeting required competency levels.

Jihoon Kim, Country Director of KOICA in Bangladesh, said that this partnership is a practical, scalable cooperation model jointly developed by KOICA, the Bangladeshi government, and the private sector.

“By focusing on NTVQF certification and direct employment pathways, we are not just strengthening TTCs; we are advancing the economic and industrial collaboration between the Republic of Korea and Bangladesh and ensuring a dynamic, robust workforce for the 21st century."

The DG of BMET expressed gratitude towards the industry for coming up with this initiative, and making it effective. He also thanked the Senior Secretary for their best efforts on this initiative despite their busy schedule.