The government has undertaken a World Bank-funded initiative to train eight thousand jewelers working under the auspices of the Bangladesh Jeweler’s Association (BAJUS).

The training programme was inaugurated at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday. 

Technical and Madrasah Education Division Secretary Dr Farid Uddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary Abu Momtaz Saaduddin Ahmed, Deputy Secretary Md Abdur Rahim, BAJUS Executive Committee Member Syed Anwar Hossain, and others were present at the event.

Syed Anwar Hossain said the country’s jewellery industry is improving under the leadership of BAJUS President Sayem Sobhan Anvir, who always advocates for technical trainings for improving the jewellers' skills.

Bangladeshi jewelers are known all over the world, with proper technical trainings they can take the industry ahead of those in India, China and Dubai, Syed Anwar Hossain added.

Dr Farid Uddin Ahmed said skilled workforce development is an indispensable to building a developed country by 2041 as envisions by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Entrepreneurs in the country’s jewelry sector have to train up their workers through modern technical training courses. The trainings cannot be immediately launched at all the 84 vocational institutes across the country, but the preparations to reach this goal have to start immediately, Dr Farid highlighted.

Through a skilled industry-specific workforce, the old bright days of the country’s jewelry industry can be revived, Dr Farid said.

The training programme would be implemented under the Directorate of Technical Education’s Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) project.

Project Director and Deputy Secretary Md Abdur Rahim said the country once had a lot of skilled jewelers, who left the industry after facing negligence. With support from BAJUS, the new training programme could ensure that the existing workforce can be upskilled and properly evaluated.

BDST: 2146 HRS, JULY 10, 2024
MN