Fabric of Change: Role of Swisscontact in Upskilling RMG Workers in Bangladesh

On 15 July 2024, Swisscontact Bangladesh hosted a high-level experience-sharing event titled "Fabric of Change: Role of Swisscontact in Upskilling RMG Workers in Bangladesh'' at the Renaissance Hotel, Dhaka.

The event showcased the experience of Swisscontact Bangladesh’s three projects, Sarathi-Improving Financial Health, Promoting Green Growth in the Ready-Made Garments Sector Through Skills (PROGRESS) and Building Youth Employability through Skills (BYETS).

The event started with a welcome speech by Mujibul Cezanne Hasan, Country Director of Swisscontact Bangladesh highlighting the importance of market system development for the skills development of RMG workers.

"As Bangladesh moves towards LDC graduation, we should consider business-viable and self-sustaining models that existing market players in the RMG sector can easily replicate."

Mujibul (Cezanne) Hasan, Country Director, Swisscontact Bangladesh

Mujibul (Cezanne) Hasan, Country Director of Swisscontact Bangladesh at the welcome address

"European and American brands are increasingly adopting near-shoring, establishing production facilities closer to their markets. This trend poses heightened competition for Bangladesh in the RMG sector, particularly from Turkey and Eastern Europe, due to their geographical proximity to Europe. If Bangladesh does not adapt to this changing landscape, it risks losing its share of the European and American RMG markets."

Nadia Afrin Shams, Team Leader, BYETS, Swisscontact Bangladesh

Nadia Afrin Shams, Team Leader of the BYETS project at Swisscontact Bangladesh delivering the keynote speech

Representatives from three Swisscontact Bangladesh’s skill development projects – Salma Akhter, Sr. Manager-Partnerships and Advocacy of Sarathi, Mir Rafiat Salman, Sr. Manager-Skills and Productivity of PROGRESS, and Md. Muntasir, Sr. Manager-Program and Partnership of BYETS – shared their project achievements in upskilling RMG workers, upgrading women workers to supervisory positions in the RMG sector and supporting the sector to meet the global compliance standards among other key achievements.

Photo: Salma Akhter, Sr. Manager-Partnerships and Advocacy of Sarathi (left), Mir Rafiat Salman, Sr. Manager-Skills and Productivity of PROGRESS (middle), and Md. Muntasir, Sr. Manager-Program and Partnership of BYETS (right) sharing insights and learning from their projects.

Later, the event also arranged a panel discussion on “Futureproofing the RMG Workforce in Bangladesh through Skills Development” to facilitate an engaging exchange of insights and learning from the four special guests, Mohammad Sohel Sadat, Director, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Md. Akhter Hossain Apurbo, Vice President, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Associations (BKMEA), Dr. Rajesh Bheda, CEO and Managing Director, Rajesh Bheda Consulting BD Pvt. Limited (RBC), and Omar Gias, Director of Strategic Engagements of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE). The panel discussion was moderated by Sakib Khaled, Sr. Manager of Portfolio Development at Swisscontact Bangladesh.

Panel discussion session with special guests (from the left to right), Mohammad Sohel Sadat, Director of BGMEA, Md. Akhter Hossain Apurbo, Vice President of BKMEA, Dr. Rajesh Bheda, CEO and Managing Director of RBC, Omar Gias, Director of Strategic Engagements of BAE, and Sakib Khaled, Sr. Manager of Portfolio Development at Swisscontact Bangladesh.

"We need to focus on sustainability and compliance as many challenges are emerging, particularly at the mid and upper management levels. Projects like Sarathi, PROGRESS, and BYETS are essential as they are supporting the sector in testing different models that are affordable and effective."

Mohammad Sohel Sadat, Director, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)

"Providing a good working environment increases productivity for the RMG workers. Alongside we must improve our mid-management and update technology to better monitor footprints in green energy and reduce carbon emissions."

Md. Akhter Hossain Apurbo, Vice President, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Associations (BKMEA)

"Bangladeshi women are capable of operating any kind of machinery with proper training and enabling environment. This is based on our experience and needs to be shared widely."

Dr. Rajesh Bheda, CEO and Managing Director, Rajesh Bheda Consulting BD Pvt. Limited (RBC)

"We need to enhance the competencies of our middle management to understand ESG, interpret ESG data matrices, and make the industry compatible with the carbon industry roadmap. I also see the collaboration collectively from all the stakeholders that can also help us to do that."

Omar Gias, Director of Strategic Engagements of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE)

The event underscored the industry’s enthusiasm for deeper collaborations between the private and development sectors to build a sustainable RMG skills development ecosystem. In his closing remarks, Fazle Razik, Head of Programme at Swisscontact Bangladesh emphasised the need for collaboration.

Fazle Razik, Head of Programme at Swisscontact Bangladesh is sharing his closing remarks.

"We try to create a solution that generates sustainable, durable, and scalable impact. Creating such a solution requires all kinds of stakeholders’ contribution with their unique efforts."

Fazle Razik, Head of Programme at Swisscontact Bangladesh

Sarathi – Progress Through Improved Financial Health

Bangladesh is the world’s second largest garment exporter, with the ready-made garment (RMG) sector accounting for over 83% of the country’s exports and contributing approximately 16% to the GDP. This industry encompasses more than 4 000 RMG factories and provides employment to approximately 4.2 million workers of which almost 60% are women. Even though the RMG sector plays a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s economy, only 34% of it was integrated into the formal financial system when Swisscontact started to work towards the financial inclusion of RMG workers and their community members in 2016.

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Promoting Green Growth in the Ready-Made Garments Sector Through Skills (PROGRESS)

Promoting Green Growth in the Ready-Made Garments Sector Through Skills (PROGRESS) project envisions contributing to the development of an inclusive, environmentally responsible, and competitive RMG sector in Bangladesh that can offer productive, well paid, secured, and decent job opportunities to workers, mostly women, and at the same time, adapt to the evolving needs of the global market in terms of technological advancement and ESG standards.

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Building Youth Employability through Skills (BYETS)

The Building Youth Employability through Skills (BYETS) project will empower Bangladeshi youth with improved technical, employability and entrepreneurial skills, and connect them to income generating opportunities: jobs and self-employment. BYETS will partner with Training Service Providers (TSPs), government, industry, and employers to create a conducive environment for the targeted youth that would facilitate employment opportunities for them.

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Fabric of Change: Role of Swisscontact in Upskilling RMG Workers in Bangladesh

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