Building auto-mechanics for future

A social business has been launched to train youths from the country's poorest backgrounds to become auto-mechanics of international standards so that they can earn good incomes for their families.

The vocational training centre is the brainchild of SK Dream Japan, an NGO, Grameen Shikkha, a non-formal school programme for slum children, and Rangs Workshop. It started operations in January.

Ten students, all of whom are children of Grameen Bank members, have been selected for training at the Japan Automechanic Training Centre, which is based at the Rangs Workshop in Tejgaon.

The students will take a two-year Japanese diploma standard course in auto mechanics, and in the last three months of their two-year course they will take part in a three-month practical course in an auto-mechanic workshop in Japan.

Side by side, they will be taught basic English and Japanese.

After the course is completed, they will have two options: either work at a Rangs Workshop or abroad in the Middle East, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia or Japan.

“We have contacts in many countries abroad. So, we will definitely be able to help them find jobs. But wherever they work, they will get higher wages,” said Duncan Power, general manager of Japan Automechanic.

About 37,000 reconditioned cars hit the streets of Dhaka each year and there is a chronic shortage of qualified mechanics in the city.

As a social business, Japan Automechanic will earn income to support further expansion of the school from repairing cars, student fees paid by a loan from Grameen Shikkha and additionally, offer short courses to commercial mechanics to become more proficient in their trade.

The school will hire 15 more students in 2016, with plans to hire up to 200 students a year once the capacity and facilities to provide training improve.

“We don't want to rush to increase the number of students as we want to focus on quality training,” Power said.