Tokyo to offer training for Bangladeshis in Japan

Abdul Awal Mintoo, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), addresses a discussion between the delegation of Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (JITCO) and members of the apex trade body in Dhaka yesterday. Kagefumi Ueno, senior vice-president and leader of the JITCO delegation, Yamashita Tetsuo, charge d'affaires, embassy of Japan, Kamaluddin Ahmed, first vice- president of FBCCI, and Abul Kashem Ahmed, director of FBCCI, are also seen in the picture. PHOTO: FBCCI

Tokyo plans to offer Bangladesh a unique opportunity to build human resources under an industrial training and technical internship programme in Japan.

A delegation of Japan Inter-national Training Co-operation Organisation (Jitco) is now visiting Dhaka as part of a feasibility study for signing a framework agreement with Bangladesh.

However, the delegation leader, Kagefumi Ueno, senior vice president of Jitco, a body under Japanese law ministry, made it clear that the programme is in no way aimed at recruiting Bangladeshi manpower.

Graduates having required education and knowledge in their respective fields with Japanese language proficiency will be eligible for the one-year technical training and three-year internship in Japan.

The fields where the technical training will be provided include agriculture, fishery, construction, food manufacturing, textile and machinery, furniture making, printing, book binding, plastic moulding, reinforced plastic moulding, painting and welding.

There must be assurance that on return the trainees will get back their jobs.

"The most important thing is that our counterpart, your Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, shares the same spirit and ideas," Jitco Senior VP Kagefumi Ueno told a meeting here yesterday.Discussing the opportunity with business leaders he said that the sending associations, which are to be determined by the ministry, must also share the same spirit and ideas.

FBCCI President Abdul Awal Mintoo, who presided over the meeting, termed the Japanese programme a great opportunity for Bangladesh.

"If 5,000-7,000 of our people go to Japan, get Japanese-standard training and are habituated with their discipline during internship, on return they will be a big asset for the nation," he said.

The chief of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry also emphasised public-private partnership to exploit the opportunity offered by an economic superpower like Japan.

Mosharraf Hossain MP, president of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), also spoke.

The Jitco delegation on Sunday held a meeting with the State Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The objective of the fact-finding Jitco mission is to know the scope of Bangladeshi industries capable of utilising the industrial training and technical internship.

They are also conducting spot survey of the current situation of training needs in Bangladesh and other ancillary matters.