Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said on Thursday that Bangladesh wants to draw on China’s experience in modernising technical and vocational education to develop a skilled workforce and create more employment opportunities for young people.

He made the remarks while attending a China-Bangladesh Vocational Education Exchange in Qingyuan City of Guangdong Province, China.

A high-level Bangladeshi delegation, including Education Adviser to the Prime Minister and PMO Spokesperson Mahdi Amin and Technical and Madrasah Education Division Secretary Md Daud Miah, attended the event at Guangdong Vocational City.

The event was organised by Guangdong Finance and Trade Vocational College in collaboration with 11 vocational and technical institutions in Guangdong.

During the visit, the Bangladeshi delegation toured the “Beidou+” Digital Supply Chain Laboratory and observed demonstrations on robotics, robot-dog programming and Chinese tea culture.

They also gained first-hand experience of how vocational institutions in Guangdong integrate modern technology, practical training and industry-oriented education.

Speaking at the exchange, Milon praised China’s achievements in education, technology and technical training, saying Bangladesh is keen to learn from China’s experience in developing modern vocational education.

He said Bangladesh’s large young population offers huge potential and that quality technical and vocational education can play a crucial role in turning this potential into a skilled and productive workforce.

The minister called for greater cooperation between Bangladeshi and Chinese institutions in technical education, skills training, curriculum development, institutional partnerships and employment-oriented education.

He said continued cooperation with Chinese vocational institutions would create new opportunities for Bangladeshi students and contribute to the country’s long-term human resource development.

Mahdi Amin said stronger bilateral education exchanges, including faculty collaboration, student scholarships, curriculum development and institutional partnerships, could further deepen connectivity between Bangladesh and China.

Such cooperation would also help create employment opportunities, strengthen skills development and build a sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries, he said.

A major highlight of the event was the launch of the Guangdong “Chinese + Vocational Skills” Industry-Education Integration Alliance.

The alliance is expected to provide a new platform for international cooperation in vocational education, Chinese language learning, skills development and industry-education integration.