Sandwip Island, situated in the Meghna River estuary along the country's southeastern coast, frequently receives a substantial share of remittances as a particular upazila because over 100,000 residents of this island are employed in various European, North American, and Middle Eastern nations.
The youngsters of this island will have the chance to earn dollars online without having to travel overseas, as a state-of-the-art Joy SET Center (Joy Smart Service and Employment Training Centre) is being constructed at Sandwip to train them in information and communication technology (ICT).
An estimated one million freelancers reside in Bangladesh, with 650,000 of them working in the IT industry, according to ICT sector specialists. The state minister for ICT previously estimated that the latter group earns about $1 billion annually.
Shipbuilding was the source of Sandwip's foreign exchange revenues in the past. Islanders now have more opportunities to make money because they already have high-speed internet connections, and broadband internet will be available to the majority of schools, colleges, and offices immediately. They can take advantage of the global market once they receive ICT training.
Recently, the State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, inaugurated the construction work of the Joy SET Center at Sandwip.
Joy SET Center will be the most modern building on the island
About 400,000 people live in Sandwip, as the area comprises only around 189 square miles. The Meghna Estuary and ocean surround the island, which is home to several coconut plantations and mangroves.
However, there's a considerable risk of storms and flooding on this island. During the monsoon season, rough waves regularly cut off the island from Chittagong. As a result, multi-storied buildings are hardly found in Sandwip.
The island is now enclosed by a fence. In 2018, a submarine was also used to link Sandwip to the national power grid. Therefore, steps have been taken to improve young people’s ICT skills in order to create jobs.
To ensure the success of this initiative, the Joy SET Centre is being built with a modern design. A state-of-the-art centre will be established at Sandwip at a cost of around Tk15 crores under the Establishment of Digital Connectivity (EDC) scheme, managed by the Department of Information and Communication Technology.
The ground floor of the centre will feature an atrium (open space), a lounge, and a break area. Additionally, there will be an outdoor interaction plaza area, a registration room, a generator room, and a storage room. There will be one lab, a start-up zone, and a plug-and-play zone. The second floor will have two labs and a coffee shop. The third floor will include office rooms for Upazila ICT officials, office technicians, and supporting staff rooms, as well as meeting rooms, network operation centres, and switch rooms. The fourth floor will have two labs and a semi-covered interaction terrace.
A total of 555 Joy Set Centers will be established across the country under the EDC scheme. These centres will primarily be built by expanding the Upazila Parishad complex upwards. According to the project office, it has been planned to construct a modern four-storied building in Tungipara of Gopalganj and Sandwip to set up the Joy SET Center.
ICT training and employment
If a total of 555 Joy SET Centers are established across the country, it will be possible to train more than 250,000 students annually and create employment opportunities for them.
According to the initial plan, 120 people will be trained annually from one Joy SET centre through a three-month-long training course. As such, 480 people can undergo a three-month certificate course or freelancing course from one centre in four batches in a year.
For those who wish to develop a firm with a start-up idea or who wish to become entrepreneurs after obtaining training, the centres will offer office space. This opportunity is provided because new entrepreneurs often lack funds and struggle to make office rent payments.
Consequently, the goal of this government support is to ensure that every brilliant idea becomes a reality. Upazila level 10 freelancers and entrepreneurs will share workspace at the Joy SET Center, with access to funds for earnings.
In addition to youngsters, the Joy SET Center will provide ICT training to government personnel and officials. ICT training for officials at all levels is essential for the government's efforts to create a smart government.
Furthermore, thousands of services have already been converted to electronic versions by the government. The Joy SET Center is the source for these services. As a result, providing cutting-edge digital services at the field level will be simpler and of higher quality.
Shohel Mamun is a freelance journalist
