Investing on manpower training

The decision taken by the government to train manpower with technical education under the first phase of 'Skills for Employment Investment Programme' (SEIP), though belated, is a significant move in adding value to the bulk of the country's workforce. The government has approved a Tk 10.50 billion project to offer technical education to around 260,000 people to meet the growing demand for skilled manpower at home and abroad. Reports say that skill development under the aforesaid project would be an ongoing one, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed by 2017. The successive phases are expected to be completed in seven years' time, concluding in 2021, with a total of US$ 1.07 billion fund. Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expected to offer the largest share of $ 350 million for the billion-dollar programme while the government will provide $ 200 million, and the rest would come from some development partners.

The idea is lofty no doubt, given the utter neglect the manpower sector of the country suffered from lack of skill in various areas of employment at home and overseas. The project appears to be part of a mid-term policy in that it intends to create a workforce of 1.25 million, equipped with technical education to cater to the growing demand in the local industries and the overseas job markets. It has been reported that the skill development drive will mainly be industry-centric. This, observers believe, makes practical sense, as being sector-specific the training is expected to be focused on specific areas. Industrial sectors intended to be covered by the project activities include, among others, garment, textiles, leather, light engineering, information technology (IT), ceramics, software and construction sectors. Major industry associations will receive funds from the ministry of finance to train up manpower in respective fields. Besides, state-run training institutes will also be provided with funds. Skill development training to groom job seekers abroad is reportedly a key feature of the project.

Bangladesh is widely known as a country of cheap labour mainly because of the dearth of technical knowledge and skills. This, while restricting workers' access to technical jobs, causes them to suffer low wage. The only way workers can be expected to be empowered is through skills and expertise. More importantly, a skilled worker tends to increasingly improve his/her capability because of the competitive nature of works and jobs demanded at the workplace. This brings in the opportunity for specialisation that is critically lacking in the vast majority of the manpower employed at home and abroad.

It must be admitted that the huge sums of overseas remittance received by the country's exchequer do not reflect a well thought-out plan, particularly regarding the types of works in which majority of the workers are employed. Had there been a plan to facilitate job-seekers with required skills in various fields, the workers would have been highly benefited by increased wage, and the country, in turn, would have experienced a far more inflated remittance.