The joint skill training initiative by the government and BGMEA has become a boon for a Dohar boy, who was hankering after a job in the capital after passing SSC.
Like others, the 19-year-old, Faruk Mia, rushed to the city for job to feed his four-member family, but to no avail since he was unskilled.
By the time Faruk came to know about the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the government-conducted joint project titled “Skill for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP)” he took part in it.
Being trained, Faruk dropped his resume at the BGMEA job fair for SEIP project trainees and got a job as the operator of Century Design and Fashion Pvt Ltd for Tk10,000 as his monthly salary.
The trainee will join the factory from March 25, confirmed Md Aminul Islam, chief operator of the factory.
Many workers like Faruk were also appointed as labour of different ready-made garment (RMG) companies, submitting their resumes at the job fair while a number of training receivers have placed their CVs for mid-level positions.
About 40 garment factory owners participated in the fair to pick their required workers and executives from about 1000 trained job seekers.
The first ever daylong job fair was organised by the BGMEA at International Convention City Bashundhara in the capital on Saturday. The initiative aimed to bring workers and employers under a roof to provide jobs.
“The Finance Ministry took up the SEIP project in partnership with nine trade bodies and five public and private organisations to create 260,000 skilled manpower across the country by 2018,” said BGMEA Vice-President for Finance Mohammed Nasir.
He noted that BGMEA has tied up with the SEIP to create 43,800 skilled manpower on 15 subjects by 2018 as per the requirement of the garment sector.
Nasir also urged the government to increase the course duration of the project from one month to three months.
The Finance Ministry senior Secretary, Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, said the country’s growth is now productivity-driven and the training will enhance the growth.
BGMEA president Md Siddiqur Rahman said: “The skill development project has already provided training to 20,000 people, of which around 15,000 are operators and 5,000 are mid-level executives.
Of trainees, some 10,000 have already got jobs in garment factories, he added.
BGMEA has a plan to organise such job fair regularly, the leader said, adding that “We hope the participation of garment factory owners will be increasing in the coming years.”
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed inaugurated the fair in the morning while State Minister for Labour and Employment M Mujibul Haque Chunnu and BGMEA senior vice-president Faruque Hasan, among others, spoke.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
