With the aim of creating skilled human resources, ensuring sustainable growth and expanding employment in the ready-made garment industry of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the World Bank-funded ‘ASSET’ project jointly organized the “BGMEA-EBT Implementation Progress Review Workshop and Certificate Distribution Ceremony”, a press release said.
The event was organized on Saturday at the Exhibition Hall of the BGMEA Complex in Uttara. Md. Daud Mia, ndc, Secretary, Technical and Madrasa Education Division, Ministry of Education, was present as the chief guest at the event. Mahmud Hasan Khan, President of BGMEA, presided over the event.
Under the ‘ASSET’ (Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation) project implemented by the Directorate of Technical Education under the Technical and Madrasa Education Division of the Ministry of Education, BGMEA is successfully conducting ‘Enterprise Based Training’ (EBT) in the garment industry. The main objective of this initiative is to create skilled manpower and increase productivity through industry-led demand-based training.
Under the Enterprise Based Training (EBT) program, jointly run by BGMEA and ASSET project, a total of 4,632 trainees have been included in 3 cycles through a total of 193 batches. 2,328 people from 97 batches of the 2nd and 3rd cycles were awarded certificates at the ceremony. Currently, 96 batches of the 4th cycle are ongoing.
Md. Daud Mia, NDC, Secretary, Technical and Madrasa Education Division, Ministry of Education, said, there is no alternative to skilled human resources to achieve national economic goals; and in this regard, the joint initiative of BGMEA and ASSET Project is doing a great job in increasing the productivity and workforce of the garment sector. Although the term of this project ends in December 2026, the government’s new initiatives for skill development will continue. I request BGMEA to give its opinion on these projects to strengthen the relationship between industry and academia and to build a skilled manpower according to the demand. He said, for the country’s largest employment generating sector, the garment sector, to survive in the future competition, it is essential to upgrade the skills of workers in this sector to Level 3 and 4.
BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said, the garment sector needs to be made more skilled and modern to survive in the global market competition and technological changes. The Enterprise Based Training Model has proven successful in increasing work-oriented skills in factories. BGMEA is grateful for the government’s support in creating skilled manpower through various projects, including the Asset Project. He further said that the current board of BGMEA believes in not only increasing the volume of exports, but also in adding value to products by developing skilled workers. The work that BGMEA is doing to create employment for the economic development of the country will be accelerated if it gets appropriate policy support.
The Director General (Additional Secretary) of the Directorate of Technical Education, Abul Khair Md. Akkas Ali, Additional Secretary (Development Sub-Division) of the Technical and Madrasa Education Department, Shamsur Rahman Khan, Project Director (Additional Secretary) of the Asset Project, Mir Zahid Hasan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) Professor Dr. Engineer Ayub Nabi Khan were present as special guests at the event.
Also present at the event were BGMEA Director Nafis-ud-Daulah, BGMEA Standing Committee Chairman on Skill Development Jabed Hossain Bhuiyan and representatives of the Skill Development Program.
BGMEA Skill Development Committee Chairman Jabed Hossain Bhuiyan delivered the welcome address.
Director General (Additional Secretary) of the Directorate of Technical Education Abul Khair Md. Akkas Ali, Technical and Madrasa Education Department Additional Secretary (Development Division) Shamsur Rahman Khan, Asset Project Project Director (Additional Secretary) Mir Zahid Hasan, BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Engineer Ayub Nabi Khan also spoke at the event.
