Upskilling for industry 4.0: bridging the HRM-Sustainability Gap in Bangladesh’s tech sector

Abstract

As Bangladesh is working to become a regional tech hub, the realities of Industry 4.0 growth are opening up an increasingly large digital skill gap. This study analyzes trends in digital upskilling in Bangladesh and sustainable HRM practices in the tech sector from 2010 to 2024. By 2023, 22% of the workforce had obtained Industry 4.0 skills education; additionally, Bangladesh had set up 50 NBR-accredited centers and 10 national programs on digital skills. There was also an increase in bars on sustainability, with a rising percentage of companies that had sustainability-oriented HRM strategies (5% in 2010 to 20% in 2023). Despite progress, there remained challenges to digital skills, for example, limited access to advanced training, limited access to continuous training and educational programs, as well as gender-based inequalities. The authors recommend more inclusive training, improvements in public-private partnerships, and that sustainability be included in talent development strategies as Bangladesh continues to modernize the technology sector responsibly.