Technical training centres to boost country’s remittance income

The government has launched 24 upazila-level technical training centres to create a skilled workforce that will play an important role in accelerating overseas employment and remittance inflows.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the centres on July 28.

In 2015, the government undertook a project to build 40 training centres in different upazilas across the country and a technology institute in Chattogram with a target to train 56,000 people every year which will boost the country's presence in the global labour market. 

Shahidul Alam, director general of the Manpower, Employment and Training Bureau (BMET), told The Business Standard, "Once all 40 centres are ready, the country will get 40,960 skilled persons from there every year."

"In addition, at least 15,000 more skilled people will be readied through orientation courses at the institute to go abroad. The centres will train people for the global labour market," he added.

A trainee can do a 360-hour course in any of ten trades (departments) for just Tk48, Zahirul Alam Majumdar, deputy director at the divisional manpower and employment office, Chattogram, told TBS.

"The trades have been opened at the training centres keeping in mind the global labour market. At the centres, 65 people can take training at a time. Accommodation is also available for students coming from distant areas," he added.

According to the target of the Eighth Five-Year Plan, skilled manpower export will increase from 43% to 50%. Skilled workers will have the opportunity to work in higher positions with higher salaries which will play an important role in the overall development of the country such as increasing the ongoing remittance flow, socio-economic development and poverty alleviation.

The project – "Establishment of 40 Technical Training Centre at the upazila-level and one Institute of Marine Technology in Chattogram" – is being implemented at a cost of over Tk1,667 crore.

Each of the centres constructed on 1.5 acres of land has a five-storey academic building, a three-storey dormitory building, quarters for the principal and vice principal and a four-storey building for female trainers. 

Upazilas where new centres are being inaugurated are Raozan and Sandwip in Chattogram, Tungipara in Gopalganj, Pirganj and Gangachara in Rangpur, Sujanagar in Pabna, Manohardi in Narsingdi, Kamarkhand and sadar in Sirajganj, Munshiganj Sadar, Khansama in Dinajpur, Alfadanga and Nagarkanda in Faridpur, Dighalia in Khulna, Haluaghat in Mymensingh, Keshabpur in Jashore, Nangalkot and Chauddagram in Cumilla, Kapasia in Gazipur, Sherpur Sadar, Kalihati and Nagarpur in Tangail, Hatibandha in Lalmonirhat and Mithamoin in Kishoreganj.

In each of the courses at these centres, 160 people will get training in the electrical trade, 104 in electronics, 64 in auto mechanics, 160 in IT support, 88 in welding and fabrication, 88 in driving and auto mechanics, 100 in civil construction, 116 in refrigeration and air conditioning, 68 in machine tools operation and 76 in the garment trade.

Besides, 965 students will be able to receive training in eight departments at the Institute of Marine Technology of Chittagong to be built at Bakalia in the port city.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the project on 24 November 2015. The prime minister will inaugurate 24 technical training centres in 24 upazilas already built out of 40 under construction under this project. The construction of the remaining 16 will also be completed soon, said BMET.

According to the data of the BMET's research cell, about 5.43 lakh people including pre-migration and domestic workers have been trained in 55 trades in fiscal 2021-22 through the 70 training centres currently running.

Once 40 training centres and one Institute of Marine Technology are established at the upazila level and in Chattogram under the development project, training programmes will be conducted at 104 technical training centres and seven marine technology institutes and the total training capacity will increase to nine lakh annually.