Bangladesh Modernizes TVET System to Equip Communities with Climate-Ready Skills

Bangladesh, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, is overhauling its technical and vocational education system through the ADB-backed TVET Teachers for the Future Program to build climate-resilient skills and livelihoods. By modernizing teacher training, curricula, and institutions, the initiative aims to prepare communities for adaptation, recovery, and green economic opportunities.

Bangladesh, one of the world’s most climate-exposed countries, is betting on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to strengthen its frontline resilience. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), with contributions from research specialists including the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Nordic Development Fund, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the Huairou Commission, has crafted a bold new project: the TVET Teachers for the Future (TTF) Program. Scheduled for implementation between 2025 and 2030, this program aims to modernize teacher training, redesign curricula, and upgrade institutional capacity to ensure that the next generation of workers acquires the climate-resilient skills needed for survival and prosperity.

Confronting a Daunting Climate Profile

The stakes could not be higher. Ranked 46th on the 2022 Climate Risk Index and 178th on the ND-GAIN Index, Bangladesh is acutely vulnerable to floods, cyclones, storm surges, droughts, and rising sea levels. Its high population density, reliance on climate-sensitive industries such as agriculture and fisheries, and persistent poverty further magnify the risks. Climate projections for the coming decades point to even greater volatility, with heavier rainfall, hotter average temperatures, and more frequent extreme weather events. Acknowledging this looming crisis, the government has embedded capacity-building and skill development into its long-term adaptation strategies. The National Adaptation Plan 2023–2050 lists transformative education as a core pillar, while the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan envisions the creation of 4.1 million climate-resilient jobs. The National Skills Development Policy of 2020 has also identified green competencies, ranging from energy efficiency to sustainable waste management, as essential for the future workforce.

Teachers at the Heart of Transformation

At the core of the TTF Program lies the belief that teachers are the multipliers of resilience. Approved by ADB, the initiative will expand teacher training opportunities, enhance pedagogical and technical expertise, and strengthen management systems to ensure long-term effectiveness. The program envisions TVET teachers as agents of change who can cascade knowledge about climate adaptation to thousands of young people entering key industries. To shape the program, a climate risk assessment was carried out to examine threats to socioeconomic development, while stakeholder consultations in Dhaka in 2023 and 2024 added local perspectives. These dialogues stressed the need for gender-sensitive approaches, locally grounded training, and a stronger linkage between classroom learning and labor market demand.

Exposing Systemic Weaknesses

The assessment laid bare serious deficiencies in Bangladesh’s current TVET system. Nearly half of teaching positions are unfilled due to weak incentives and low teacher output. Few opportunities exist for in-service training, leaving instructors poorly equipped to adapt. Curricula are outdated and excessively theory-driven, with little connection to real-world industry needs. The neglect of entrepreneurship and applied learning means that students graduate without the tools to navigate emerging green jobs. Access is uneven: women, rural populations, and marginalized groups remain largely excluded, while high costs put TVET beyond the reach of many poor families. Facilities are crumbling, with obsolete equipment and minimal resources. The net effect is a system that is underprepared to deliver the adaptive skills that Bangladesh so urgently requires.

Entry Points for Climate-Resilient Reform

The CRPP project identifies three main levers for embedding climate resilience into TVET, teacher training, curricula, and institutions. Teachers must be trained to understand the local climate hazards affecting their students’ communities. Suggested reforms include continuous professional development programs, partnerships with universities and disaster management agencies, and exposure visits to climate-affected regions. International collaborations would help teachers keep pace with new pedagogical methods and technologies. Curricula, meanwhile, must integrate climate adaptation into every subject. In agro-processing, modules should highlight climate-smart farming, sustainable water use, and resilient food packaging. Civil engineering courses should focus on disaster-informed building standards, green infrastructure, and urban planning. Digital training should emphasize GIS systems, remote sensing, and climate data analysis. Practical, problem-solving instruction and recognition of indigenous knowledge are key to making these lessons effective. At the institutional level, greater decentralization of management would empower local colleges to respond quickly to labor market shifts and regional risks. Partnerships with employers would ensure that apprenticeships and internships are aligned with national needs for climate services. Infrastructure must also be upgraded to make campuses more inclusive and climate-resilient, with safe facilities for women, marginalized groups, and people with disabilities. Laboratories, weather stations, and digital platforms would transform TVET campuses into living laboratories of climate adaptation.

A Roadmap for Resilient Futures

Looking forward, the document outlines a spectrum of opportunities, from embedding climate modules in teacher training and creating a cross-diploma climate literacy course to investing in disaster-resilient, gender-responsive campuses. Continued professional development for teachers, through industry placements and international exchanges, will be crucial, as will partnerships with employers to drive real-world climate solutions. The vision is not limited to skills training; it is about empowering entire communities. By positioning TVET as a hub for adaptation and recovery, Bangladesh can provide displaced populations with alternative livelihoods, foster behavioral change, and generate evidence of successful adaptation strategies for broader replication.

Ultimately, the TTF Program frames education not just as a route to employment, but as a national resilience strategy. In a country where climate change is an existential threat, equipping teachers, students, and institutions with climate-resilient skills could determine whether vulnerable communities merely survive or manage to thrive. By modernizing TVET, Bangladesh is laying the groundwork for a future where education is both shield and spear, shielding communities from the harshest impacts of climate disasters while spearheading a green and adaptive economy.