Public TVET institution graduates lend support for PPP

Graduates of the Graphic Arts Institute Dhaka, now working in leading media and printing organisations, offered their support to the institute to implement public partnerships in a one-day workshop supported by the ILO on 30 Jan 2015.

News | 17 August 2015
Public private partnerships are being introduced by the government as part of a series of reforms to Bangladesh’s current skills development system. The objective of reform is to make skills in Bangladesh nationally recognised, accessible to all, high quality and directly linked to jobs.

The Graphic Arts Institute, with the support of the ILO, has recently entered into its first public private partnership with Shamustshuk Printers Ltd and a workshop was held to review the progress of implementation of the partnership.

Shamustshuk Printers Ltd Managing Director Mr Saif Shahariah Jaheedi said, “I am feeling very proud to be associated with the institute because I am a former student. Through these kinds of agreements, I can help to train trainees of the institute by partnering them with my experienced workers. The students can get practical training and it is easier for both parties when it comes to arranging industry visits, industry attachments and job placements.“

Director General, Directorate of Technical Education, Mr Shahjahan Miah, said the doors of the institutions are open for industrial entrepreneurs and stressed the important role that industrial enterprises can perform in developing the TVET system.

“I feel proud seeing the career progress made by former students of the institute and I hope through public private partnerships we can see more and more of this progress.”

Deputy Managing Director Prothom Alo Kazi Sarwar Amin, a graduate of the Graphic Arts Institute said that he would feel proud to work with the institute through a public private partnership.

Chief of Gazi Enterprise Mr Gazi Siddiq emphasised the importance of public institutions working with industry and stressed the need for keep such arrangements open so that other interested organisations can also partner in the future.

Video editor of RTV Mr Russal Mahbub highlighted that it was important to look outside what exists in the institute to ensure that course offerings keep up with market demands, and public private partnerships are a good way to ensure this.
The ILO is currently working with the Government of Bangladesh to reform the skills development system through two major initiatives; a CAD19.5 million grant from Canada for the Bangladesh Skills for Employment and Productivity (B-SEP) Project, and a Euro 14 million grant from the European Union for the TVET Reform in Bangladesh Project.

See the National Skills Development Policy (English/Bangla) here