Govt to bring one lakh IT literate youths under certification

The government is going to bring one lakh IT literate youths under certification by applying Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) method of assessment. “As part of introduction of RPL method we will appoint 400 assessors in the first phase in 64 districts for giving certificates to one lakhs of IT literate youths across the country,” Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan said on Sunday while inaugurating the Assessor Training Programme held at the conference room of ICT Division. He said the certificate will be given to the IT and computer literate youths based on the assessment of the assessors to be selected and appointed by the ICT Division after 5-day training. Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) in collaboration with International Labor Organisation (ILO), Skill Development Programme (SDP) of Education and Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) has organized the training programme for the assistant programmers of different colleges, schools and government offices at district level to develop them as assessors.”The government will select the one lakh youths who have been imparted IT and computer training through the Union Information Service Centres (UISCs), different educational institutions and Learning and Earning Programme for giving certificates,” the ICT Secretary said adding country’s 4,516 UISCs alone have already trained up over 60,000 youths so far and most of them have no certificates.The ICT Secretary said that the government has been creating 70,000 freelancers and step would be taken to bring these freelancers under certification.Urging the ‘would be assessors’ to work with utmost dedication and sincerity, he said BTEB will issue certificate based on the assessment of the assessors.Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) of TVET Reform Project of ILO Country Office for Bangladesh Arthur Earl Shears, Project Director of SDP Chowdhury Mufad Ahmed, Acting Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Md Harunur Rashid and Coordinator of Assessor Training Programme Dr Md Abul Hasan spoke on the occasion.Arthur said ILO is providing technical assistance to develop the programmers as assessors who will be embarked on task to assess the quality of IT and computer literate people. “Bangladesh has an excellent National Skill Development Policy which would actually help building quality and skilled manpower in this country,” he added.Dr. Hasan said the government is planning to set up 64 assessment centres in 64 districts so that assessors can assess using the computer lab of these centres.