Desk Report:

 The government has taken initiative to build 15,000 men and women of the country as skilled people through hands-on technical training. As a result, this will increase the supply of skilled manpower in the labor market as well as creating opportunities for self-employment. It will also help achieve sustainable economic growth.

For this, a project titled “Creating Self-Employment and Poverty Alleviation (Phase-II) by Expanding BITAC Activities with Emphasis on Women in hand-to-hand Technical Training” has been undertaken. BITAC, Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center, is an organization under the Ministry of Industries. The government will spend Tk 123,17,56,000 in this project.

According to the Ministry of Industries, the Awami League government’s election manifesto-2018 was about the creation of technically skilled manpower through training. The project is also in line with the objectives and goals of the 7th 5-Year Plan taken by the government.

According to sources, the project will be implemented in Dhaka City Corporation under Dhaka Division, Chandpur Municipality under Chattogram Division, Phultala under Pahartali and Khulna Division and Bogura Sadar of Rajshahi Division.

The sources at the Ministry of Planning said the BITAC has set a target of 100 percent implementation of the project – which started on paper in 2020 – by June 30, 2025. The project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on October 6, included in the Annual Development Program (ADP) for the fiscal year 2020-21 as a new unapproved project without allocation.

Among the activities of the project, a men’s hostel will be constructed in a 10-storey (total 57,800 sq ft) building at its own place in the center of BITAC Dhaka (Tejgaon). Besides, the existing six-storey women’s hostel at BITAC Dhaka Center will be expanded upwards on the sixth floor (total 7,267.30 sq ft).

During the project period, 15,000 men and women will be trained in various trades. The research will be conducted to assess the impact of training activities. Furniture for the ten-storey hostel building to be constructed, database software development, computers and parts and three lifts for the two buildings will be purchased.

About this, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun said steps have been taken to set up 100 special economic zones in the public and private sectors for the planned growth and employment of important industrial sectors in national development. “In these economic zones, domestic and foreign public and private investors have already expressed interest in setting up industries,” he mentioned. 

If the project is implemented, this will create skilled manpower by providing intensive training in various trades based on market demand, which would help in creating self-employment for unemployed manpower including meeting the demand for skilled manpower in new industrial plants, he said. (Source: Online)