Underlining the need to capitalize on its biggest asset – human resources, British High Commissioner in Dhaka Alison Blake called upon the readymade garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh to lay stress on skill development if the country is to maintain its competitive edge amidst rising competition in the global apparel trade. This she said on her recent visit to two RMG factories – Echotex Ltd. and Dalas Fashions Ltd. in Gazipur, recently.
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“Investing in the skill development of the workforce, as Echotex has done using its in-house facilities, will help do this,” Alison said, while also underlining the need of continuous efforts to carry out factory remediation.
It may be mentioned here that after the Rana Plaza mishap in April 2013, the UK has increased its support towards improving safety and workplace conditions in Bangladesh. The British Government also funds training programmes for skill development to enable the RMG workers contribute towards increasing the overall productivity of the sector.
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Both the Gazipur-based garment factories – Echotex and Dalas receive support from the British Government through the Skills and Employment Programme in Bangladesh (Sudokkho) and the UK’s work to support the National Action Plan for the Readymade Garment Sector in Bangladesh (the SNAP-B Programme).
“It is important that the momentum is not lost and that remediation remains a top priority for the industry,” the British High Commissioner was quoted as saying in a press communiqué issued by the High Commission.
