FBCCI for skilled manpower to achieve development targets

President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Jashim Uddin Sunday said lack of skilled manpower is a major obstacle in achieving development targets. “Private sector entrepreneurs are undertaking various ventures to create employment in order to achieve the various economic targets announced by the government. But the lack of skilled manpower has become a major obstacle,” he said.

The FBCCI President made this remarks at the first meeting of the FBCCI Standing Committee on National Economic Policy and Planning, 8th Five Year Plan, SDG and Vision 2041 held at FBCCI Icon, said a press release. Speaking as the chief guest, the president said the garment factories are running with a 15 to 20 percent skill manpower shortage. Therefore, he said, entrepreneurs have to depend on foreigners for various positions of management.

Although there is no shortage of highly educated youth in the country, there is a lack of necessary skills required in the industry, he added. He said the government runs many technical education institutes, they fail to provide the desired quality students.

“The government must focus on creating skilled manpower to achieve various economic and development goals. Therefore, it has become imperative to harmonize the formal education curriculum with industry,” he added. Md Jashim Uddin called upon the National Skills Development Authority to be more dynamic. The FBCCI president also called for the recruitment of skilled manpower in government offices to meet the challenges in the post LDC period.

He said that in future, free trade agreements should be signed, new strategies should be adopted to protect local industries after becoming a developing country. Therefore, the government agencies will need more dynamic and skilled manpower to deal with the more complex global trade issues, he added. The FBCCI Chief also called upon the government agencies to consult with the private sector before formulating policies. Formulating policies without consulting with private stakeholders often makes them difficult to implement as they do not reflect the field level realities.

Earlier in the discussion, various challenges of industrialization in Bangladesh came up. The speakers said that the industrialization of the country is mainly stuck in Dhaka and Chattogram. Establishing economic zones across the country alone cannot decentralize the industry unless township is built. The members of the standing committee spoke on economic development as well as reduction of inequality, improvement of education, Industry-Academia linkage, formulation of national strategy on the 4IR, women empowerment, increase in use of renewable energy.

At the meeting, the Director in Charge of the committee Dr. Nadia Binte Amin said the SME sector contributes up to 80 percent to the economies of developed countries. In Bangladesh this is only 60 percent. Government policy cooperation needs to be further enhanced to harness the potential of the SME sector.

The meeting was presided over by the Chairman of the committee AKM Shamsuddoha. Among others, also present were FBCCI Senior Vice President Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu, Directors Bijoy Kumar Kejriwal, Md. Naser, Syed Almas Kabir, Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, Advisor Manzur Ahmed, Standing Committee Member Shamim Ahmed, Tasfia Jasim, ASM Mainuddin, Syed Habib Ali, Munir Ahmed, Ayesha Siddique, Shamima Shirin and Dr. Md. Nazmul Islam.