HR dev in RMG a must to achieve $30b export target

FE Report Bangladesh needs develop skills of its garments workers, both technical, educational and leadership, to produce high end products and managing the factories, if it wants to achieve the target of earning $ 30 billion by exporting its garment products by next five years. A seminar on 'Skills Development and Employment for Bangladesh RMG Sector' on the sidelines of Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition 2011, the 22nd of the annual event, at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre put the thrust Saturday. Bangladesh garments industry, the lifeline of its economy is still lagging 28 per cent in terms of efficiency and productivity than the world leader China though Bangladesh occupies the second position in garment export in the world market. China occupies 37 per cent market share of the total $ 351.5 billion global market of garments products where Bangladesh has a tiny share of 4.46 per cent. Commerce minister GM Quader was present as the chief guest at the seminar with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin in the chair. BGMEA vice president Faruque Hassan moderated the session while Anneli Lindahl Kenny, ambassador of Sweden, immediate vice-president of BGMEA Abdus Salam Murshedy, Hennes and Mauritz (H&M), Bangladesh country head Pascal Brun and Care International, Bangladesh director Nick Southern were present. Assistant country director of Care, Bangladesh Jamie Terzi made the keynote presentation on the theme of the seminar. Ms Jamie said there are 3.6 million workers employed in the RMG sector of Bangladesh, 80 per cent of which are women, where an additional 1.5 million skilled workers is needed every year to support the sustained growth of the sector. "Gradually China is getting out of the competition. Unskilled workers mean absenteeism, high level of migration, loss of production and high production cost. Technical skill is not enough for a worker as it cannot take a worker too far," said Ms Jamie. Bangladeshi garments owners also need to invest in health, life and functional skills for a worker which can help decrease rejection ratios and high turnover. Better lives of Bangladeshis mean stronger garment industry, she added. Study shows a garments worker who works eight hours a day and a significant period of overtime, spends 20 per cent of her hard earned money as house rent, and 17 per cent having some kind of control over their earnings. Pascal Brun said skill development is the key to sustainability of the Bangladeshi garments industry. There are other ways of sustainability like education and leadership development. "We are already in touch of escalating skills. Its not a matter of pushing from buyers but there is a demand already," he said, adding, "Bangladesh needs to produce added value garments by bringing expertise." BGMEA in collaboration with H&M is going to run another 12 training centres for the next five years. The project cost, stakeholder's share etc are under negotiation. Mr Pascal said many buyers are now coming forward in improving life and skill of the garment workers. He said there is a group of 39 buyers in Bangladesh who all do not follow same kind of rules and regulations. H&M and this type of big buyers will lead this forum in future. They will try to introduce uniform compliance for the garments owners. Abdus Salam Murshedy told the FE a big training centres can train up about 700 people within a three months period. Mr Murshedy said theres no government level training centre for garments industry which is needed to develop skilled workforce for producing high end products with the help of modern machineries. "There is no allocation in the national budget for developing human resources. But we know there are funds with the government to invest in this kind of programmes. We need infrastructure and policy support from the government to grab the huge potential of our industry," he added. Ms Kenny said the importance of garments sector in reducing of poverty and creating employment is well known. "As this sector employ 80 per cent women worker it has given them the opportunity of equality in society," she said, adding, "continuous skill development is the key to face the risk in this sector." She emphasized on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the sector where environment and people's wellbeing is concerned. "Increased consumers react quickly to any negative information. That's why CSR needs to be done though costly," she said. GM Quader said it's a matter of shame that the garments industry now employs 17,000 foreign employees at mid and top level management. "It's a shame for a country like Bangladesh where unemployment rate is too high that we employ so many foreigners," he said. The minister said many of the poor people of the country go abroad for job by selling all their properties. "Then why cannot our garment industry be employing these people? If a job is guaranteed they will be interested in training and be employed in garments industries," Mr Quader said.