The apparel industry, despite emerging as the country’s largest export sector, is yet to lure graduates as a potential job market, apparently due to different untoward incidents that created bad image of the sector among the people. “It is unfortunate that our young generation after completing their graduation is yet to see the garment industry prospective for job as seen by other sectors like bank, despite admitting the contribution of the sector to the economy and overall development,” BGMEA president Md Siddiqur Rahman said Tuesday. He said that the reason would be the previous incidents happened in the industry, especially in 2006, 2010 and 2013. The incidents have created a bad image of the industry among the common people, he told a workshop at the headquarters of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in the city. The trade body leader did not mention about the incidents, but the industry often goes through labour unrest as well as industrial accidents like Tazrin Fashion fire and Rana Plaza building collapse, creating image crisis both at home and abroad. The workshop shared contribution of the Center of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry (CEBAI) towards enhancing skills in readymade garment (RMG) sector. Swedish ambassador in Dhaka Charlotta Schlyter, ILO Bangladesh country director Srinivas B Reddy, CEBAI president Atiqul Islam, Bangladesh Employers’ Federation president Kamran T Rahman and H&M Bangladesh sustainability manager Kiron Gokathoti, among others, were present at the event. Launched in November 2014 to address the skills gap in the RMG sector, CEBAI is run by the BGMEA and up until November 2017 was supported by the ILO, Sweden and H&M, international fashion retailer. Bangladesh RMG industry with only 6.63 per cent global market share has much potential to grow further, said the BGMEA president, adding that the industry could offer better job benefits to graduates compared to other sectors. “For the industry to fulfil its true potential, we need to upgrade the skills of our workforce. There is also a strong need for research that will guide development of the industry. Looking forward, CEBAI should continue to play a key role to meet both these requirements,” he added. “Although prospects in this sector are bright, the Bangladesh RMG industry has enormous scope to improve productivity through skills development,” said Mr Reddy. He called on the industry to look at what CEBAI has achieved and to build further on these efforts to achieve a more flexible, demand-driven and inclusive skills development system in Bangladesh. He, however, stressed on digging out the facts why young graduates were less in garment factories’ posts like managers, supervisors and also why the number of female workers are decreasing in the sector that once believed to employ women more than 80 per cent. “Continue to grow with high-tech and also continue to create employment,” he said. The CEBAI president said, “While much has been accomplished, CEBAI is still in its infancy. We must continue to nurture it so that it is able to provide the support industry needs to move up the value chain and gain further share in the world market.” The vision of CEBAI is to establish a replicable model of industry-driven training and support services in Bangladesh, speakers said, adding that its actions have benefitted workers and employers alike as it has helped create a firm foundation for future skills development in the sector.
