Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar: Private initiatives to develop skilled workforce

[Black_cats]

Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar: Private initiatives to develop skilled workforce

ECONOMY​

Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury
11 February, 2023, 12:30 pm
Last modified: 11 February, 2023, 12:47 pm

A good deal of fresh technical institutions is in the pipeline to train and develop a highly-skilled workforce for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, the country's largest industrial city being built in Chattogram.

Through government and private initiatives, these vocational schools will provide a wide range of industry-oriented training and diploma courses for a period ranging from four months to three years, according to people concerned.

Currently, there are about 65 private technical schools and training centres across Chattogram, but the number of trained workers these institutes produce every year is nowhere near close to meeting the demand for manpower at Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar, said local trainers at these institutions.

The government has already formed a National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) to formulate syllabi for trainees and regulate the technical schools regarding producing skilled labourers on a large scale.

Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar is being developed over an area of about 30,000 acres in the Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni.

According to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), a total of 153 companies have so far been allotted 6,500 acres of land for setting up factories there. Once fully operational, this Shilpa Nagar will create around 15 lakh jobs.

Ferdous Wahid, an assistant engineer of Beza, said four companies had already started production in Shilpa Nagar. They are Asian Paints, McDonald Steel, Nippon-McDonald Steel and Samdua Construction. About 500 people are currently working in these companies.

Private technical schools and colleges

Two technical institutions have already been launched in Mirsarai and Chattogram city. One of them, the OPCA Technical School, became functional in April 2021.

OPCA Executive Director Mohammad Alamgir told The Business Standard (TBS) that 450 students were trained in electrical and fashion design for a period of four months. Of them, 350 trainees have been employed in various industries of the country, including those in Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar.

The other one, the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology started its journey in January this year. The founders of the institution expect that this university will also play a role in building skilled manpower for Shilpa Nagar.

Two more private technical schools are being constructed in Mirsarai upazila and will be completed by this year.

A technical school will start in July this year in the Nizampur area of Mirsarai. Initially, 20 students will be trained for six months in five trade categories, including Electric and Welding.

Mohammad Kamal Uddin, former president of the Rubber Garden Owners Association, is launching this institute to create skilled manpower.

Mohammad Kamal Uddin Technical and Engineering College is being built in the Maliaish area of Mirsarai. It will offer a three-year course and a short one-year course, said Dr Kamal Uddin, adding that the journey of this college will commence soon.

Govt technical schools in the making

The Ministry of Commerce is setting up a Technology Centre on 10 acres of land in the Mirsarai zone of Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar with the aim of diversifying plastic, light engineering, leather and leather products and footwear export products, creating skilled manpower and developing technical strategies.

The project will be implemented in six years at a cost of Tk941 under the Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) Project with support from the World Bank.

Nazrul Islam Azad, deputy director of the EC4J project, told TBS that the centre's infrastructure is under construction in Shilpa Nagar. Once completed, the centre will be run in direct collaboration with relevant stakeholders through a Public-Private Partnership.

Besides, the Ministry of Education is planning to set up a technical education institute in Mirsarai, said Mirsarai Upazila Secondary Education Officer Humayun Kabir.

He said education ministry officials have already visited an economic zone area.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) Public Relations Officer Proshanta Kumar Mandal told TBS that BIDA implemented a Tk49 crore project recently to develop skilled human resources. Around 24,000 people have been trained across the country under this project.

Existing training centres inadequate

Among the 65 existing technical schools and training centres in Chattogram, 16 offer diploma courses. An average of 3,000 students graduate from these institutions annually. Apart from this, short-term training is provided on various subjects, including computers. Besides, there are three government polytechnics in Chattogram.

According to entrepreneurs associated with these private institutions, technical schools have not developed compared to the way in which economic zones have developed. As a result, when the factories in Shilpa Nagar start production, there will be an acute shortage of skilled manpower.

Private polytechnic entrepreneurs said they have presented a proposal to the government for incentives and loans on easy terms to set up private vocational institutes.

Ahsan Habib, general secretary of Bangladesh Private Polytechnic Entrepreneurs Association and Chairman of the National Institute of Technology, said, "Earlier, company owners could not be brought to job fairs. Now the owners are turning to various technical institutes for skilled manpower."

"A few days ago, a foreign company in the Mirsarai economic zone came to me for workers who have electrical and mechanical knowledge. If the government does not take the initiative now, the job market will be taken over by workers from other countries," he added.
Even though the government has formed a National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), it is yet to begin full-scale activities.

Responding to a question in this regard, NSDA Director (Planning and Industrial Liaison) Dr Md Anwarul Haque said, "We are working on preparing the training curriculum syllabus by forming the industrial skill council to determine what kind of manpower is required by industries."

"The NSDA will create skilled manpower through providing training according to this curriculum. We will do piloting for any profession," he said, adding that the NSDA as a regulatory authority will monitor the training centres.

Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar: Private initiatives to develop skilled workforce

A good deal of fresh technical institutions is in the pipeline to train and develop a highly-skilled workforce for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, the country's largest industrial city being built in Chattogram. Through government and private initiatives, these vocational schools will...

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[mb444]

It is time a more joined up approach is taken up.

The govt needs start up schemes if they do not already exists where private sector recruits people and then train them up in the job and also pay a salary. But where govt steps in is that the cost of training and salary paid to the people where they are trainees is tax deductible by the company.

Such policies can target sectors where we have demand and encourage companies to recruit and train without the risk of losing money on people because they leave as soon as they are trained.

 

[Tom-tom]

This will save alot of our currency, spur internal social development and betterment. We won't depend on ungrateful bindians so much, or the Sri Lankans .

It's about the ppl of bdesh have a chance at performing in these roles. Alhamdila.

With better salaries and technical/servicing roles comes with better salaries leading to greater internal consumer demand.

Alhamdila, could not have been done at a better time.

 

[bluesky]

I think many companies would hire their technical staff and request the vocational schools to give training supported by govt stipends for three months.

 

[Tom-tom]

It is time a more joined up approach is taken up.

The govt needs start up schemes if they do not already exists where private sector recruits people and then train them up in the job and also pay a salary. But where govt steps in is that the cost of training and salary paid to the people where they are trainees is tax deductible by the company.

Such policies can target sectors where we have demand and encourage companies to recruit and train without the risk of losing money on people because they leave as soon as they are trained.

You, got slightly wrong. The priority Is the lift the work and skill of bdesh I workers, that comes with. With increased disposable salary comes with increased internal consumer demand.

This inadvertly creates more employment. Then gradually have an nominal tax on paye skilled employees. Always keeping it nominal.

 

[fallstuff]

Hope it moves along nice and great. Does anyone know how they are going to deal with the waste these companies are going to generate ?

 

[mb444]

You, got slightly wrong. The priority Is the lift the work and skill of bdesh I workers, that comes with. With increased disposable salary comes with increased internal consumer demand.

This inadvertly creates more employment. Then gradually have an nominal tax on paye skilled employees. Always keeping it nominal.

That linear course of events would be the position with respect of workers gaining additional skill as the economy moves up the value chain.

However I would contend in BD scenario this only applies to a small subset of workers .

Look at where there are serious gaps... lower and middle management where indians and srilankans are being bought in and how do we address it.

For a BD to get this job they need skill that can only come from investment. This investment will need to be funded either by the worker, the employer or the government.

The employee can not because they lack initial capital, employer wont because it costs a lot to train, there is a risk trained employee would leave and it is cheaper and less disruptive to bring in an indian. Lastly the government could but the most effective method would be if any support is targeted and has employer/employee engagement. Supporting on the job training that is tax deductible facilitates this.

There are many strategies that needs to be employed simultaneously. This is just one of them and to be targeted at vocational roles where companies can take on school leavers and train them up.

Otherwise we will run the risk of the likes of saudi arabia where their populace is more or less unproductive and incapable of doing anything. Things wont be like that exactly in BD but we will end up with lower and upper tier roles occupied by BD, with the middle tier manned by indians.

 

[Tom-tom]

That linear course of events would be the position with respect of workers gaining additional skill as the economy moves up the value chain.

However I would contend in BD scenario this only applies to a small subset of workers .

Look at where there are serious gaps... lower and middle management where indians and srilankans are being bought in and how do we address it.

For a BD to get this job they need skill that can only come from investment. This investment will need to be funded either by the worker, the employer or the government.

The employee can not because they lack initial capital, employer wont because it costs a lot to train, there is a risk trained employee would leave and it is cheaper and less disruptive to bring in an indian. Lastly the government could but the most effective method would be if any support is targeted and has employer/employee engagement. Supporting on the job training that is tax deductible facilitates this.

There are many strategies that needs to be employed simultaneously. This is just one of them and to be targeted at vocational roles where companies can take on school leavers and train them up.

Otherwise we will run the risk of the likes of saudi arabia where their populace is more or less unproductive and incapable of doing anything. Things wont be like that exactly in BD but we will end up with lower and upper tier roles occupied by BD, with the middle tier manned by indians.

This is where, 3rd party micro loans ethical can come in.

Secondly a clause can be added that if the applicant it successful in proceeding and qualifying he/she must be working the industry of the applicable role for at least 5-6 yrs.

They don't have to be with the same employer, they should be allowed to switch employers, and move around the country.

That way the gov gets their return on the investment, micro lender gets their return and the training learning providers have done their job

That linear course of events would be the position with respect of workers gaining additional skill as the economy moves up the value chain.

However I would contend in BD scenario this only applies to a small subset of workers .

Look at where there are serious gaps... lower and middle management where indians and srilankans are being bought in and how do we address it.

For a BD to get this job they need skill that can only come from investment. This investment will need to be funded either by the worker, the employer or the government.

The employee can not because they lack initial capital, employer wont because it costs a lot to train, there is a risk trained employee would leave and it is cheaper and less disruptive to bring in an indian. Lastly the government could but the most effective method would be if any support is targeted and has employer/employee engagement. Supporting on the job training that is tax deductible facilitates this.

There are many strategies that needs to be employed simultaneously. This is just one of them and to be targeted at vocational roles where companies can take on school leavers and train them up.

Otherwise we will run the risk of the likes of saudi arabia where their populace is more or less unproductive and incapable of doing anything. Things wont be like that exactly in BD but we will end up with lower and upper tier roles occupied by BD, with the middle tier manned by indians.

Also what about targeting those already in the industry, that actually wish to be technical maintenance of the machines or manager e.t.c.

One of my guy, said that his nephew is in the industry and love to have a skilled vocation but it locked out.

 

[mb444]

This is where, 3rd party micro loans ethical can come in.

Secondly a clause can be added that if the applicant it successful in proceeding and qualifying he/she must be working the industry of the applicable role for at least 5-6 yrs.

They don't have to be with the same employer, they should be allowed to switch employers, and move around the country.

That way the gov gets their return on the investment, micro lender gets their return and the training learning providers have done their job



Also what about targeting those already in the industry, that actually wish to be technical maintenance of the machines or manager e.t.c.

One of my guy, said that his nephew is in the industry and love to have a skilled vocation but it locked out.

Sure, we need to have focused intervention and policy support by sector and role types. There is no one size that will fit every scenario.

Govt, sectors, education and training providers need to work together and come up with granular strategies after identifying where the gaps are.

 

[Tom-tom]

This is where, 3rd party micro loans ethical can come in.

Secondly a clause can be added that if the applicant it successful in proceeding and qualifying he/she must be working the industry of the applicable role for at least 5-6 yrs.

They don't have to be with the same employer, they should be allowed to switch employers, and move around the country.

That way the gov gets their return on the investment, micro lender gets their return and the training learning providers have done their job



Also what about targeting those already in the industry, that actually wish to be technical maintenance of the machines or manager e.t.c.

One of my guy, said that his nephew is in the industry and love to have a skilled vocation but it locked out.

If they leave the industry entirely then a redemption fee can be done, with a calculation, of the period they served. It should noted that these ppl should not be beholden to a certain employer.

As with every where from UK-Arab-bdesh places, once employers suss out you are beholden to them, the exploitation starts. Possibly bullying e.t.c mistreatment.

Power relationship between employee and employer should be mutual.

 

[mb444]

If they leave the industry entirely then a redemption fee can be done, with a calculation, of the period they served. It should noted that these ppl should not be beholden to a certain employer.

As with every where from UK-Arab-bdesh places, once employers suss out you are beholden to them, the exploitation starts. Possibly bullying e.t.c mistreatment.

Power relationship between employee and employer should be mutual.

By making training tax exempt means the employer shares in the cost of training thus is an incentive. It also builds in quality control because there is still some cost to the business hence they will only recruit worthy people.

I agree there should not be any tie-in clause for the employee at all. Certain level of such trainees will not complete course for some reason and some will leave the profession all together. These things should be accepted and cost absorbed probably by the government for the common good.