Training to create worthy workforce
Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
Training will be used as one of the important tools to implement the national vision as reflected in the various policies, plans and programs of the government. It will be used for promotion of administrative efficiency higher productivity and optimal utilization of human resources for the greater welfare of the citizens. Having realized the importance of training as an effective means of human resource development the government has declared its firm commitment to gearing up and orienting training activities in order to enhance administrative and management capacity, augment productivity in all sectors, alleviate poverty, reduce unemployment, achieve sustainable and balanced development having regard to the goals and objectives of development plans of the government. In order to achieve the training goal some phases are followed from management site. The phases are namely-preparatory stage, executed stage, monitoring stage, evaluation stage etc. There is a separate body that is assigned for implementation of the whole process.
There are many policies for development in Bangladesh. Since independence, we have not been able to prepare a training policy for the nation. But for the nation’s interest, we conduct various public and private level courses for effective and efficient administration. All these aim to achieve the standard of our workforce. To strengthen the workforce, there is no alternative to training. Our all organizations and all government machineries are supposed to be run by a capable workforce. To ensure our capabilities, skill development activities are very necessary. Training always plays a vital role for human resources development.
In our country, we follow some guidelines for skill development but we do not have any national training policy. To make the training sector viable, a policy or guideline is mandatory. Ministry of Public Administration is here looking after the training activities of all government officials. Necessary training directives are being issued from this Ministry. There is a cell or training unit which cannot fulfil the necessary formalities of a balanced training activity. So every country needs at least a separate division for activities and necessary control. Under training department, there may be the administrative, legal, operation, planning, evolution and research wing etc. All these will be finalized by a National Training Policy.
Bangladesh is currently suffering from an acute shortage of skilled workers and managers. The situation is deteriorating day by day as the shortage is intensifying in keeping up with the development process. Today, many firms, both local and international, are hiring foreign workers and managers to fill in the gap. The skill shortage is not only an impediment in the current situation, it will become a major deterrent in achieving further growth in the future, if not addressed appropriately and urgently. A 2019 report by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) revealed that various sectors such as ready-made garment (RMG), leather, ICT, infrastructure development, food processing, light engineering, healthcare, tourism, and ship-building industry will require several millions of skilled workers and experts by 2025. Where will this skilled workforce come from? The country’s technical education and training centers as well as higher education institutes have long failed to keep up with the demand. Given the situation, is it worth considering a “brain gain” strategy as a viable alternative?
In considering the role of education and training, it is argued that training for quality of life, human resource development should not be constrained by the conventional concept of manpower development, which tended to be restricted to training of personnel with specialized technical skills and to narrow program. It is suggested that the approach should identify a core of knowledge, attitudes and skills required to put into operation an integrated, inter sectoral approach to the quality of life aspects of human resources development.
The development of flexibility, adaptability and commitment among quality of life personnel are seen as important objectives for that kind of training. That training is considered essential for the lower levels of implementation personnel, especially extension workers and professionals involved in the traditional social sectors such as health, education, family planning, community development and the like. It is also proposed that other specialists, especially personnel assigned to rural areas, such as agricultural extension agents, irrigation engineers and water supply technicians involved in projects and programs associated with human resources development also be exposed to that kind of training.
Some elements of the common core of knowledge, attitudes and skills might be included in a training program. Among the training topics considered to be important are: the motivation, mobilization and organization of people for development; the identification of information sources and the collection, analysis and utilization of simple quantitative and qualitative data relating to the various aspects of human resources development; participation and participatory planning processes; program implementation, monitoring and evaluation; establishing, strengthening and working with local-level organizations and leadership. Orientation and training programs require innovative training methods, including immersion in appropriate setting (such as poor rural communities, urban slums and so on) and role-playing and simulation exercise to sensitize participants to the totality of particular human resources development situations. Training is regarded as an integral element of institutional reform and development.
Nation’s progress depends on human resources development. If people of state become proactive, dynamic it will be highly contributive with the skill, they possess. In the present competitive world, only the fittest will survive, others can not. If the youth of the country want to stand on their own feet by achieving the job excellence, nation will undoubtedly make a stand towards the momentum of development.
Every professional will be highly prestigious and dignified. No defame can defeat one’s identity. People will be very much practical minded and nation will take its place of reputation and honor.
All people coming from walks of life should be made highly skilled. If any fisherman from society have the knowledge of fishing and farmers have the knowledge in agricultural line it will help them. Again if any camera-man or a photographer can not a operate a camera and cannot adjust the aperture hole and finally if it becomes the same practice for other instrument or apparatus holder the total output will be poor. So the citizen of the state must be capable to control the steering like a good boat-man to make it save from capsizes. Many valuable lives and properties will be saved. So, our aim would be to make skilled man power so that state is run effectively and efficiently. Everywhere we must represent ourselves as an expert boat-man. With this end in view, only training can play a pivotal role to make a worthy workforce of a country.
(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar & VDP).
