DHAKA, Jan 22, 2019 (BSS) – The government is forming ‘National Skill Development Authority (NSDA)’ aiming to expedite the country’s overall economic development through making all people skilled at least in one area within 2030.
“National Skill Development Authority Bill, 2018 has already been passed in parliament. We hope the NSDA will start its journey from June this year,” outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) Secretariat ABM Khorshed Alam told BSS recently.
In an exclusive interview at his office on January 15, Khorshed Alam, also an additional secretary, said the NSDA will provide training in 100 categories through 13,163 registered institutions under 35 departments of the government.
He said NSDA will help develop at least 20 lakh skilled workforce every year to meet the demand of skilled manpower in the country’s industrial sector for ensuring sustainable development.
“Around 10 lakh people are getting training through the existing registered training institutions. In the first year, NSDA has made a plan to provide training to an additional 5 lakh people and the number of additional trainees will be increased to 10 lakh from the next year,” he added.
Khorshed Alam said the NSDA will help develop the skills of labour forces through imparting technical and vocational professional training considering the demand in the local and international labour markets.
The authority will introduce uniform national curriculum in different trades for enhancing skills of workforces of the country through ensuring capacity of training institutes, he added.
He said NSDA will work to raise the standards of institutes engaged in enhancing skills and also for introducing equity-based skills evaluation procedure for appropriately making assessment of skills.
The outgoing NSDC chief said the authority will empower all individuals to access decent employment and ensure Bangladesh’s competitiveness in the global market through improved skills, knowledge and qualifications that are recognized for quality across the globe.
As per the NSDA Bill, the headquarters of the Authority will be situated in Dhaka and its branches can be set up anywhere in the country taking prior permission of the government.
There will be five members of the Authority, including four members and an executive chairman. There will be a governing board where the Prime Minister will be the chairman.
The other members of the board will be ministers for Finance, Public Administration, Industries, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and Labour and Employment, Cabinet Secretary, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, Chief Coordinator (SDG Affairs), secretaries of PMO, Public Administration, Finance Division, Vocational and Madrasah Education Board, Industries Ministry, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, Youth and Sports Ministry, Social Welfare Ministry, Women and Child Affairs Ministry, Health Education and Family Welfare Division, Textiles and Jute Ministry, Information and Communication Technology Division and Agriculture Ministry, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, executive chairman of Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, representative from FBCCI, one Industry Skill Council-nominated representative, one government-nominated person who has special contribution in the field of manpower and skill development.
The governing body will hold at least one meeting each year. There will be a 17-member executive committee too.