Skill development initiatives by various organisations would be recognised by the government - to ensure availability of skilled labour forces as per local and international market demand.
The National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) would give 'Skill Centre of Excellence Recognition' to the government, semi-government, private, autonomous or other organisations for creating skilled labour forces and trainers under a new guideline, issued on Wednesday.
The new guideline has been framed to establish linkage between industries and skill development organisations, encourage research and technological innovation, and support entrepreneurship development.
The organisations would get fund support upon submitting applications to the NSDA under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for their skill development initiatives.
The recognition would be given for five-year term after thorough scrutiny by a committee on the basis of applications of the organisations.
"The country needs to impart job-oriented skill development trainings. The unemployment rate of educated workforce is going up. On the other side, industries are hiring foreign employees due to insufficient skilled labour forces in the country," the guideline noted.
There would be a three-year business plan for the organisations, where their goal, selected sector, area of work, expected result, effective work-plan, expenditure plan, and connection with the government have to be furnished.
The strategic target of the business plan would be preparing skilled workforce, research and innovation, and industrial connection and job placement.
The centres of excellence must have partnership with at least two government or international-standard research organisations through signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or other agreement.
It should have bilateral agreement or partnership with two large corporate entities and five small or medium industries.
The recognised centres of excellence would be able to get fund support from the NSDA for conducting research on changing business models. However, fund support would not be allowed for infrastructural development.
The NSDA can recommend renewal, suspension or cancelation of the recognition.
In the application, an organisation has to give details of its annual source of income, taxpayer's identification number, business identification number, financial statements of last five years, infrastructure and vehicles with layout plan, own land details, resume of the researchers and trainers, etc.
Dulal Krishna Shaha, Executive Chairman (secretary) of the NSDA, said the new guidelines would help to recognise the organisations for skill development of labour forces.
"Many of the skill development organisations claim themselves as centre of excellence, but there is no parameter to recognise them."
The new guidelines would be followed from now on to recognise those with centre of excellence certification.
The neighbouring countries are much ahead of Bangladesh in skill development efforts under such guidelines, he added.
