BCI and JETRO collab to boost skilled workforce

Business Desk:

The Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) held a key meeting on Sunday at the BCI office in Dhaka.

The meeting was hosted by BCI President Anwar-Ul Alam Chowdhury (Parvez) and attended by JETRO Country Representative Kazuiki Kataoka. BCI Directors Delowar Hossain Raja and Nazmul Anwar, member Ziauddin, and JETRO Senior Director Shoriful Alam were also present. The session was moderated by BCI Secretary General Md Helal Uddin.

During the discussion, BCI President Anwar-Ul Alam Chowdhury highlighted the potential of cottage, micro, and small industries in Bangladesh. He noted that the sector faces a shortage of skilled manpower, which is crucial for the country’s economic growth.

To address this, he proposed bringing skilled trainers from Japan to Bangladesh. These experts would train local instructors through a “Training of Trainers” (ToT) program, who would then produce skilled workers and managers across the country in sectors like automobile, agri-machinery, light engineering, and agro-processing.

JETRO’s Kazuiki Kataoka expressed interest in supporting Japanese investment in Bangladesh and said he sees opportunities for collaboration with BCI. He also promised to arrange meetings between BCI and Japanese industrial entrepreneurs for further discussions.