Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar: Private initiatives to develop skilled workforce

A good deal of fresh technical institutions is in the pipeline to train and develop a highly-skilled workforce for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, the country's largest industrial city being built in Chattogram.

Through government and private initiatives, these vocational schools will provide a wide range of industry-oriented training and diploma courses for a period ranging from four months to three years, according to people concerned.

Currently, there are about 65 private technical schools and training centres across Chattogram, but the number of trained workers these institutes produce every year is nowhere near close to meeting the demand for manpower at Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar, said local trainers at these institutions.

The government has already formed a National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) to formulate syllabi for trainees and regulate the technical schools regarding producing skilled labourers on a large scale.

Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar is being developed over an area of about 30,000 acres in the Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni.

According to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), a total of 153 companies have so far been allotted 6,500 acres of land for setting up factories there. Once fully operational, this Shilpa Nagar will create around 15 lakh jobs.

Ferdous Wahid, an assistant engineer of Beza, said four companies had already started production in Shilpa Nagar. They are Asian Paints, McDonald Steel, Nippon-McDonald Steel and Samdua Construction. About 500 people are currently working in these companies.

Private technical schools and colleges

Two technical institutions have already been launched in Mirsarai and Chattogram city. One of them, the OPCA Technical School, became functional in April 2021.

OPCA Executive Director Mohammad Alamgir told The Business Standard (TBS) that 450 students were trained in electrical and fashion design for a period of four months. Of them, 350 trainees have been employed in various industries of the country, including those in Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar.

The other one, the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology started its journey in January this year. The founders of the institution expect that this university will also play a role in building skilled manpower for Shilpa Nagar.

Two more private technical schools are being constructed in Mirsarai upazila and will be completed by this year. 

A technical school will start in July this year in the Nizampur area of Mirsarai. Initially, 20 students will be trained for six months in five trade categories, including Electric and Welding. 

Mohammad Kamal Uddin, former president of the Rubber Garden Owners Association, is launching this institute to create skilled manpower.

Mohammad Kamal Uddin Technical and Engineering College is being built in the Maliaish area of Mirsarai. It will offer a three-year course and a short one-year course, said Dr Kamal Uddin, adding that the journey of this college will commence soon.

Govt technical schools in the making

The Ministry of Commerce is setting up a Technology Centre on 10 acres of land in the Mirsarai zone of Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar with the aim of diversifying plastic, light engineering, leather and leather products and footwear export products, creating skilled manpower and developing technical strategies.

The project will be implemented in six years at a cost of Tk941 under the Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) Project with support from the World Bank.

Nazrul Islam Azad, deputy director of the EC4J project, told TBS that the centre's infrastructure is under construction in Shilpa Nagar. Once completed, the centre will be run in direct collaboration with relevant stakeholders through a Public-Private Partnership.

Besides, the Ministry of Education is planning to set up a technical education institute in Mirsarai, said Mirsarai Upazila Secondary Education Officer Humayun Kabir. 

He said education ministry officials have already visited an economic zone area.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) Public Relations Officer Proshanta Kumar Mandal told TBS that BIDA implemented a Tk49 crore project recently to develop skilled human resources. Around 24,000 people have been trained across the country under this project. 

Existing training centres inadequate

Among the 65 existing technical schools and training centres in Chattogram, 16 offer diploma courses. An average of 3,000 students graduate from these institutions annually. Apart from this, short-term training is provided on various subjects, including computers. Besides, there are three government polytechnics in Chattogram.

According to entrepreneurs associated with these private institutions, technical schools have not developed compared to the way in which economic zones have developed. As a result, when the factories in Shilpa Nagar start production, there will be an acute shortage of skilled manpower.

Private polytechnic entrepreneurs said they have presented a proposal to the government for incentives and loans on easy terms to set up private vocational institutes.

Ahsan Habib, general secretary of Bangladesh Private Polytechnic Entrepreneurs Association and Chairman of the National Institute of Technology, said, "Earlier, company owners could not be brought to job fairs. Now the owners are turning to various technical institutes for skilled manpower."

"A few days ago, a foreign company in the Mirsarai economic zone came to me for workers who have electrical and mechanical knowledge. If the government does not take the initiative now, the job market will be taken over by workers from other countries," he added.
Even though the government has formed a National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), it is yet to begin full-scale activities.  

Responding to a question in this regard, NSDA Director (Planning and Industrial Liaison) Dr Md Anwarul Haque said, "We are working on preparing the training curriculum syllabus by forming the industrial skill council to determine what kind of manpower is required by industries."

"The NSDA will create skilled manpower through providing training according to this curriculum. We will do piloting for any profession," he said, adding that the NSDA as a regulatory authority will monitor the training centres.