More than 80% workers of garment factories in Bangladesh think they need more training to face challenges of the fourth industrial revolution, according to a survey of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
The BIDS conducted the survey among 119 firms, including 72 of knit and 47 of woven industries, in four locations in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Delivering a presentation at BIDS Research Almanac 2023 at a hotel in the capital on Thursday, Rizwana Islam, research associate of the BIDS, said the existing human resources believes more training would remedy the skills gap.
Of those believing in the necessity, 82% are male and 84% are female in the woven industry while 84% are male and 88% female in the knit industry.
Islam said they conducted their survey focusing on the skills gap, mismatch and shortage.
Although the garment sector has the minimum shortage of human resources among other sectors, it still lacked skilled human resources notably in managerial posts, she said.
The notable deficits are in management, quality control and some of finishing operator posts, she added.
The also survey found that there was a mismatch in the educational levels sought and that available in almost all categories of jobs.
Only for quality inspectors in both the industries and printing and embroidery machine operators in the knit industry, survey shows a matching of desired and actual qualifications of the employees, she added.
Skills enhancement programs are needed focusing more on occupations where the gap is higher, said Islam.
Enterprises should have close linkages with training providers so that trainees could get internships in factories and in turn the enterprises will get good quality workers, she said.
The government should introduce training on computer programming, technical engineering, and design work so that the industry can work on product diversification and move to upper value chains of garment products, she added.
