The government has taken an initiative to create skilled human resources for international and local industries in a bid to transform Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country by 2041.
To this end, a project proposal has been sent to the Planning Commission for setting up six Bangladesh Industrial and Technical Assistance Center (BITAC) centers in Gopalganj, Barishal, Sunamganj, Rangpur, Jamalpur and Jashore.
The total cost of its implementation has been estimated at Tk 1,132.61 crore.
If the project is implemented, self-employment opportunities will be created through the creation of trained people in the industrial sector.
In addition, technical workers will be created for international and local industries, and suitable infrastructure will be built to provide modern technical training to young women and men trainees in remote areas.
At the same time, the concerned people are hoping that technical training activities will be conducted for the entrepreneurs to ensure the availability of skilled manpower at the local level.
The project proposal states that building construction and furniture, engineering, training and other equipment will be procured for 6 regional centers of BITAC. Technical training for men and women will be imparted through 6 regional centers.
Accommodation will be provided for 6,144 women and 6,144 men in a total of 12,288 trainees in 6 centers every year. Through the construction of the workshop, effective training and import of spare parts will be made.
In this regard, Sharifa Khan, Member (Secretary) of the Industries and Energy Department of the Planning Commission in charge of the project, said that human resource development is essential for transformation into a developed and prosperous country by 2041.
If implemented, the project will create skilled manpower in line with the demand of the international and local market, meet the demand of skilled manpower in the industry and create self-employment of unemployed manpower, she added.
A Planning Commission official said the PEC (Project Evaluation Committee) meeting was held on June 7 last year after receiving a proposal from the industry ministry.
The project has been recommended to be presented at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) as it complied with the recommendations given at the meeting.
If approved, it will be implemented by Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center (BITAC) by June 2025.
The project proposal further states that it is almost impossible to survive in a free market economy without the creation of skilled manpower for the rapid development of technology.
For this reason, it is necessary to create human resources with technical skills in addition to traditional formal education.
On 24 September 2014, the Prime Minister visited the Ministry of Industries and directed to set up seven training centers at the departmental level including women's hostels.
At present BITAC has five centers in Dhaka, Chattogram, Chandpur, Khulna and Bogura. It is insufficient compared to the existing youth manpower, so more technical training centers need to be set up at the local level.
Besides, if BITAC training centers are set up in Gopalganj, Sunamganj, Barisal, Rangpur, Jamalpur and Jessore, it will be possible to create skilled manpower at the local level and to create alternative import devices within the country.
Therefore, as a result of gaining manpower in relation to local manufacturing industries, entrepreneurs will become interested in investing in manufacturing industries.
In the Industrial Policy 2016, an initiative has been taken to establish a special economic zone to meet the export market and domestic demand of the country.
These industrial factories and industrial parks will require trained people. The project will play a supporting role in improving the quality of products by imparting special training to young women and men in the field of light engineering.
The main activities of the project are acquisition and purchase of land, construction of residential buildings, non-residential buildings and internal roads, purchase of engineering and other equipment, purchase of furniture, computer and ancillary office equipment, purchase of 2 motor vehicles, education and training materials and supplies for hostel use such as crockery will be purchased.
