ED: Ensuring skilled migrant workers

Recently, we editorialized on how our migrant workers deserve to be celebrated, especially considering how their contributions have continued to grow despite the Covid-19 pandemic that has ravaged economies worldwide.

In this regard, we are pleased by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s focus on ensuring that migrant workers are trained and provided with the skills necessary in order to ensure their success as desirable employees abroad.

As the prime minister has correctly pointed out, the responsibility lies not only on the shoulders of the workers -- who are oftentimes found to have not taken the training seriously -- but also on the various ministries responsible for monitoring the training process and their progress in this regard.

The government has already taken initiatives to ensure that workers going abroad are prepared, with 40 more technical training centres on the way, which aim to ensure that Bangladeshi workers abroad become an essential aspect of host nations and their development.

At the same time, three banks have been set up to encourage migrant workers to invest in their home country, essentially creating an eco-system that generates sustainable income for Bangladeshis, both home and abroad, and ensures security in the future.

At the root of this, however, lies the quality of skills being offered by our migrant workers without which the entire process falls apart.

Knowing the oftentimes desperate efforts taken by workers to go abroad, it is essential that the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry understand the extent of its responsibilities -- one of these is ensuring that steps are taken to provide our workers with the skills necessary and to further ensure that this is being done properly.