Economic Reporter :
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) on Saturday called for modernizing curriculum, up-skilling and re-skilling of workers utilizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), creating an inclusive digital infrastructure and infrastructure development to grab the opportunity of industry relocation and easier loan access to the SMEs.
The chamber made the call at a webinar on “post-covid-19 Bangladesh industry readiness: investment and skills” through zoom online platform.
Deputy Minister for the Education Ministry Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury said that considering returning of migrant workers, government has decided to withdraw age barrier for getting technical education in Bangladesh.
“Our Universities should focus on creating industry’s demand based skilled graduates. About 2.8 million students are being enrolled in our Colleges under National University. But we need to modernize our education curriculum as per the requirements of industry,” he added.
He said re-skilling and up-skilling of the country’s workers as well as returnee migrants will be vital.
Executive Chairman of BIDA Sirazul Islam said that the country’s industry is expanding in a faster pace, but in line with that, development of soft managerial skill is not quite visible at all.
“For our industry readiness, we have shortages of managerial skills in our graduates. ‘Research and Innovation’ initiative of DCCI will be a game changer,” he added.
Mentioning need for skill, he said BIDA gives work permit to the foreign workers every year upon local industry requirements.
DCCI President Shams Mahmud said that due to Covid-19 pandemic, the country has experienced slower growth of export including in the RMG sector.
“Due to lack of working capital and squeezed international export market we have seen job losses both in SME and informal sector. Industry relocation from China opens up a greater opportunity for Bangladesh,” he added.
Moreover, he said, Bangladesh has the competitive advantage with a demographic dividend of 63.5 million workforces.
“20 percent of our total workforce are engaged in manufacturing industry despite we need a lot of skilled workforce. But in the post-Covid-19 period, sustaining existing employment and creating more employment will be a big challenge,” he mentioned.
To take up this situation, Shams Mahmud recommended for modernized curriculum, up-skilling and re-skilling of workers utilizing 4IR, create an Inclusive Digital Infrastructure, infrastructure development to grab the opportunity of industry relocation and easier loan access to the SMEs.
In the OPEN discussion session, Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited Chairman and former DCCI President Asif Ibrahim, former DCCI Director Khairul Majid Mahmud, among others, take part at the discussion.
