Recently, I had an opportunity to visit a training centre for 15 year old children in Mirpur, Dhaka. This Centre was originally set up in 1999 as a project by H & M (a Swedish garment company) with NGO support. A similar centre was founded the same year in Shantinagar, Dhaka.

One of the success stories of Bangladesh has been the garment industry and I wanted to see for myself how workers are trained for the industry which has been riddled with exploitive child labour practices. Although the situation has improved and this programme is a model of its kind, I am not sure how this factory training scheme compares to others in Dhaka. There were, however, several aspects that impressed me about the programme: the comprehensive training programme, the monitored job placement after training, and the workers’ health and welfare support.

There is a perception that factory work requires a mass of non skilled labor. Some factory work is non skilled. I once worked at menial tasks on a production line in a Cadbury’s chocolate factory and I received no training. The tasks were repetitive and undemanding. On another occasion I had a temporary job in a weaving mill. A successful mill worker in this environment requires a lot of work experience and therefore the tasks were more challenging and less boring. The garment industry in Bangladesh needs skilled workers who have a high level of hand and eye coordination in using sewing machines and manipulating fabric.

At the H&M Training Program I was greeted by Nasrin Begum, the project manager in charge of training and her assistant, Jahurul Alam. They explained that the candidates for the program come from poor families and would previously have been child labour. The children (mainly girls) are over 15 years and have completed non formal primary schooling. There is an admission test, and interview with the parents to explain terms and conditions of the scheme. The successful candidates get 7 months at the training centre and 3 months in the factory. Since 1999 when the program started 502 young people had completed training. Two batches of 50 trainees are accepted at one time. There are two shifts per day: 8 -12noon and 1 - 5 p.m.

The training workshops were light and airy and each student had their own workstation with walls covered with instructional notes and samples of the techniques for seams, edgings, darts, gussets, lining, openings etc. Each technique has to be thoroughly mastered as well as knowledge of maintaining the machine. Ergonomic considerations of sitting right, as well as safety, discipline and hygiene are matters for learning and assessment. The trainees are given tiffin each day, banana, bread and milk. They get a transport allowance plus free medical facilities. The students receive an allowance of Tk.550, and for the last 2 months Tk.600 from H&M. There are two parent meetings in 4 months. The instructors are charged with seeing that the trainees’ performance improves each day. Nasrin oversees the training planning and implementation with Jahurul her assistant. She showed a very special love and dedication to her work, particularly the care of each individual and their family. Sometimes a teacher becomes a mother figure to young people and I could see that Nasrin held this special position of respect.

After four months, they are capable of high quality sewing. There are about 12 factories that take the trainees for three months. The trainees are paid a minimum of Tk.930 by the factory. After practice the trainees as skilled machine operators receive a minimum of Tk.1320 from the factory. They work for 8 hours a day with a maximum of 2 hours overtime, plus Fridays off. The instructors encourage the factory to give the trainees a chance to learn new tasks as their work progresses.

The instructors monitor the trainees for one year by collecting information about their work and feedback from the trainees and the factory to improve the H&M training programme. After successful completion the trainees get a certificate.

I met Mr. Golam Nasir Khan, VP of MBM garments Ltd in the factory adjacent to the training centre. He and Ms. Nasrin Begum had become involved in the textile business more than two decades ago when the garment industry of Bangladesh was in its infancy. They were supported by a scheme promoted by the late Mr. Nurul Quadel Khan whereby 126 young people were sent to South Korea for 7 months to learn the garment industry. Mr. Khan’s company from Desh Garments Ltd, Chittagong was one of the first export-oriented garment industry then.

I looked at the computer pattern designing area, cutting, as well as sewing and finishing. The clothes being made at the time were mainly orders from Jones of New York and Levi Jeans. 60% are exported to Europe and 40% to the USA.

The medical centre, and the two areas that had been designated for prayer (one for men and another for women) were very clean. The factory prides itself on giving over 2000 hot meals daily to the workers and in the kitchen was a huge cauldron of appetising lamb stew. Large bowls of rice and dal were set aside.

Here indeed was something very positive taking place in Bangladesh following input from donor countries and NGO. The challenge will be however to train the work force with the information systems that cutting edge countries are utilizing also to adjust to the changes in the industry in 2005 at the end of the quota system.