Dilemma of Promise and Pause

Bangladesh is a country at a demographic crossroad. The country has one of the most dynamic youths in the developing world with over one-third of its population below the age of 30. This is the most educated, connected and aspirational generation ever to exist. And, though, below this vitality there is a lower anxiety. It is a cycle that is repeated--they begin with a lot of enthusiasm but can hardly maintain the push. Classes are taken and never finished, business ventures are started but never pursued to the end, careers are tried but often given up halfway through. The problem is not with ambition but a disconnect in persistence. The question which must be posed, then, is an obvious one: why do a promising generation start so much, but end so little?

Understanding the Roots of Inconsistency

This trend is not random; it is determined by a group of supporting structural and behavioural influences.

To begin with, attention spans have been considerably changed due to digital overexposure. Bangladesh has more than 70 million internet users, with youngsters dedicating a few hours per day to social media sites. Even though this connection brings in opportunities, it also breeds distraction, immediate satisfaction, and decreased ability to work in a slow, long-term manner.

Second, there is a chronic skilled misfit. The evaluations of the labour markets reveal continuously that a significant number of graduates do not have industry-related abilities. Frustration becomes more intense when effort fails to achieve translations into employability.

Third, continual access to formal mentorship undermines continuity. Career guidance is still not consistent outside of big urban centres. Young people tend to go through complicated routes without having the presence of knowledgeable voices to guide, rectify errors and make them persevere and this causes unevenness.

Fourth, there is a minor but strong role of social and familial pressure. Young people are under pressure to be fast in their monetary success in a society where success is increasingly demanded at a young age. This discourages long term investment in skill-building, which has slower returns but is more sustainable.

Lastly, short-term thinking is strengthened by economic uncertainty. The post-COVID-19 tremors, the shifts in the world demand, especially in the ready-made garments industry, and the impossibility of automation imminent have resulted in the unpredictable environment. Under these circumstances, changing directions can often seem logical, although it may be at the expense of the long term results.

The Price of Half-Finished Work

This inconsistency has more implications than just on individuals. On the national level, it manifests itself in the form of underutilised human capital. There are thousands of graduates every year produced in Bangladesh, but the leaders in the private sector often complain that they cannot find job-ready graduates. Based on different industry estimations, a small percentage of graduates are skills suitable to the current workplaces. This disconnect has an impact on productivity, delays innovation and finally limits economic growth. A demographic dividend does not come on a silver platter, but it takes discipline, in-depth and persistence. Potential is latent without perseverance.

The Way Forward: Potential to Persistence

This problem has to be tackled at a multilevel. It is not just about getting the young ones to begin but allowing them to persevere.

1. Reform Education to Long-lasting Learning.

The existing system tends to appreciate short-term performance over long term performance. Persistence can be developed through the introduction of project-based learning, continuous assessment, and hands-on assignments.

2. Develop a National Mentorship System.

A formal mentorship program, between students and young professionals and experienced professionals in the various fields, may offer mentoring, responsibility and sustenance. This can be scaled using digital platforms to extend this program across the country, especially to young people who are not in big cities.

3. Match Techniques to Market requirements.

There should be an increase and modernisation of technical and vocational education. Even more effective cooperation of the industry and the educational institutions can guarantee the fact that the learning pathways have some concrete results.

4. Reconstruct Social Expectations of Success.

Families and communities need to change their focus on focusing on short-term monetary gains to the importance of the long-term development. The advertising campaigns and educational messages could assist in redefining perceptions- that sustainable success could be achieved not in a single moment.

5. Develop Organized Youth Participation.

Young people can be rooted in structured early-career programmes, internships and apprenticeships. With open roads, the urge of one activity to another fades a lot.

6. Enhance Psychological and Life Skills.

Persistence is structural but is also psychological. The inclusion of the life skills, including resilience, time management, and goal setting in education can assist the young people in overcoming the setbacks without giving up their work.

A Reflection: Energy to Endurance

Young people in Bangladesh are not short of talent, ambition or courage. The lack that they usually experience is an enabling environment, which applauds perseverance as much as it glorifies beginnings. The skill of enduring, despite distractions, uncertainty and delayed rewards, is becoming the key skill in a fast-changing world specially in context of Bangladesh.

Major General (Retd) Md Nazrul Islam is a former executive chairman of BEPZA, a retired Major General of the Bangladesh Army, and a PhD researcher on technology, workforce transformation, and industrial competitiveness.