The Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industries (CEBAI) was launched Tuesday with an aim to develop skills of garment workers while raising value addition to the industry. The Bangladesh government, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Swedish government, leading Swedish fashion retailer Hennes and Mauritz (H&M), and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organised the launching programme at a city hotel. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed was present as the chief guest with BGMEA president Atiqul Islam in the chair. Earlier on December 07 last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the CEBAI during a ceremony held at the Dhaka Apparel Summit at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital. The ILO will implement the CEBAI project in partnership with the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), the National Skills Development Council (NSDC) secretariat, the Department of Technical Education (DTE), the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) and ministries of employment, labour, and expatriate welfare and overseas employment, employers and workers’ organisations and donors. The duration of the project will be from January 01, 2014 till December 31, 2016. Tofail Ahmed said skill development and productivity enhancement are the two main challenges in achieving the US$ 50 billion target. “We are still behind our competitor countries in terms of productivity. The CEBAI can play a significant role in this regard by providing skills and need-based training for our industry,” he said. The minister said the initiative is not only the first in Bangladesh, but also in the world. After the collapse of Rana Plaza, many initiatives were taken, said the minister, adding Rana Plaza is not the only story of Bangladesh. The CEBAI demonstrates that with an industry-based training focus, an initiative can effectively increase employability and drive higher incomes for the working poor. It will also help guide the sector towards higher productivity, value addition and use of new technology while facilitating trade and investment. The project will give training and certification for instructors, industry trainers and assessors and briefings for managers and owners of enterprises. Consistent with employment trends of the RMG sector, most beneficiaries will be women and there is a 5.0 per cent target to include people with disabilities. State minister for foreign affairs Shariar Alam said after the Rana Plaza collapse, all the stakeholders raised their voices for better delivery from Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry. Thus the country has turned the threat into opportunity. The CEBAI itself has challenges which need to be fine-tuned, he said. It is better suitable in a university, he noted. Mr Srinivas B Reddy said this is just a beginning which will not only improve skills but add value to the industry. It can address issues like productivity and value chain improvement and social development. Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Benoît-Pierre Laramée said skills development has been a key element for making RMG industry prosperous, competitive and sustainable. German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Thomas Prinz said vocational training is compositeness of German industry as 66 per cent students receive vocational training in Germany which is the backbone. Bangladesh is also on the right track.
Source: https://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/04/22/89781
