Knit manufacturers and apparel sector leaders feel that the process of training up the garment workers for their skill development with government's fund has been slowing down due to a lack of proper planning and bureaucratic tangle. The government allocated Tk 200 million in the 2004-2005 budget to conduct the training programme of garment workers in the context of stiff competition in the international market with China in exporting garment items from Bangladesh. In 2008, the US and EU withdrew the safeguard mechanism which was earlier imposed on China.

The fund was left idle with the commerce ministry as Bangladesh successfully overcame the situation. Rather, the money increased day by day with an additional monthly interest of Tk 1.8 million and an annual income of Tk 21.6 million, making the total amount about Tk 240 million.

"We had signed an agreement with the government in 2011. We are running a centre at BSCIC with the fund from Export Promotion Bureau (EPB)," Selim Osman, president of Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said. He said they ran the training programme for eight months that year, which was renewed again. "We send 60 workers each month for training as per the demand by the factories," he said, adding, "We are not getting enough money as we require. Also, there is a delay in fund release."

According to a commerce ministry official, BGMEA got about Tk 9.27 million, and BKMEA got Tk 8.85 million on January 12, 2010. Commerce ministry approved the renewal of the agreement between EPB and BGMEA and BKMEA on March 3, 2011. Commerce ministry claimed they can run 13 courses for about 320 garment workers per month.

Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said they were getting funds since 2010 and have trained up semi-skilled workers, not the newcomers. He expressed his determination to make training more effective. He, however, vented frustration over the lack of coordination and planning to develop skilled manpower in the garments sector where there is a 25 per cent shortage of skilled people. "These funds should not be disbursed in a scattered manner. It will be more effective if the fund is handled by one core body," he said. He said now they run the training programme with the government's fund for their workers in Khulna, Faridpur, Rangpur, Bogra, and Gazipur along with many other separate training with others, including UNDP, Ansar VDP, H&M, the education ministry, and their own. He said the sector now requires at least 0.1 million skilled workers every year to run all the factories to full capacity. "We have trained about 500 workers in two years," Shafiul said.

Abdus Salam Murshedy, who was the immediate past president of BGMEA, said the government's initiative is a good one which is mainly a trainers' training programme as they train mid, level workers like quality controller, production officer, etc. He said there is a government institution in the country to train up the resource people, merchandisers and fashion designers which is vital to keep pace with the industry's present growth. "About 17,000 foreign technicians and managers work here. We have to depend on them as we cannot develop skilled people," said Murshedy. He suggested the government to keep training fund for BGMEA and BKMEA to train up their people at the government's technical training centres (TIC). He also suggested for allocation of Tk 5.0 billion fund in the national budget for training up the manpower in garments sector as the sector requires about 0.2 to 0.3 million skilled people.


BGMEA wants to emphasize on producing high-end brands in Bangladesh. But due to lack of skilled manpower this is not happening. Sixty-six percent of exports are from the garment industry that makes it the third largest clothes exporting country in the world. It is perhaps the cheapest and most profitable place for garment manufacturers. Some of the main US brands having their apparel made in Bangladesh are Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Adidas, Puma and Ralph Lauren.


This article was originally published in the "New Cloth Market", June, 2012.