Badrul Ahsan :
The government has moved to form ‘industry councils’ aiming at enhancing skills and productivity in the key industrial sectors, both at home and abroad, sources said.
After successful implementation of the council formation, the bodies will support employers in developing and managing apprenticeship standards, they said.
The councils will help boost the skills of their sector workforces and improve learning process.
They will also help reduce skills gap and
shortages and improve productivity.
They are expected to promote professional practices among organisations that are sector-based and set to maintain skill standards, they said.
According to the sources, lack of skilled manpower in different trades hinders growth of the Bangladesh economy at expected levels.
Also, migrant workers fail to earn higher wages on the labour market abroad for this particular shortcoming, they said.
However, currently, there are many associations representing the owners that mostly act as bargaining agents with the government.
The councils will prepare pool of assessors to evaluate training and curriculum.
The move has been taken under Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP), a project under the Finance Division. At least two councils will be formed within February.
The SEIP is being implemented by the finance division with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank, SDC (Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation) and the Government of Bangladesh.
“We want to form two such councils initially in construction and light-engineering sectors,” a high official of the project preferring anonymity, told The New Nation Thursday.
The SEIP will form 15 such councils for each sector, like the garment and software sectors.
He said they would provide funds for the councils to meet their expenses of routine tasks and pay purposes.
But the SEIP believes that body will stand on their own foot later on.
“We expect such body will last as long as the industry lasts as they will earn from the industry,” he said.
Such types of councils are there in many countries, including India.
In the United Kingdom, such bodies are licenced by the government through the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
The SEIP sources said that the council would also study for an understanding of the future skills needed in their industry.
They will design the training modules and none will be given certification without their approval.
However, the council will be independent with its specific four wings-management informant system, research, setting standards for the specific industry, and preparing curriculum.
The council consists of four key personnel to be recruited on competitive basis. They will have separate offices, initially rented.
After successful implementation of the council formation, the bodies will support employers in developing and managing apprenticeship standards, they said.
The councils will help boost the skills of their sector workforces and improve learning process.
They will also help reduce skills gap and
shortages and improve productivity.
They are expected to promote professional practices among organisations that are sector-based and set to maintain skill standards, they said.
According to the sources, lack of skilled manpower in different trades hinders growth of the Bangladesh economy at expected levels.
Also, migrant workers fail to earn higher wages on the labour market abroad for this particular shortcoming, they said.
However, currently, there are many associations representing the owners that mostly act as bargaining agents with the government.
The councils will prepare pool of assessors to evaluate training and curriculum.
The move has been taken under Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP), a project under the Finance Division. At least two councils will be formed within February.
The SEIP is being implemented by the finance division with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank, SDC (Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation) and the Government of Bangladesh.
“We want to form two such councils initially in construction and light-engineering sectors,” a high official of the project preferring anonymity, told The New Nation Thursday.
The SEIP will form 15 such councils for each sector, like the garment and software sectors.
He said they would provide funds for the councils to meet their expenses of routine tasks and pay purposes.
But the SEIP believes that body will stand on their own foot later on.
“We expect such body will last as long as the industry lasts as they will earn from the industry,” he said.
Such types of councils are there in many countries, including India.
In the United Kingdom, such bodies are licenced by the government through the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
The SEIP sources said that the council would also study for an understanding of the future skills needed in their industry.
They will design the training modules and none will be given certification without their approval.
However, the council will be independent with its specific four wings-management informant system, research, setting standards for the specific industry, and preparing curriculum.
The council consists of four key personnel to be recruited on competitive basis. They will have separate offices, initially rented.
