Symbiosis International

With sustained annual economic growth in excess of 5% per annum there is great demand within Bangladesh for skilled workers. Unfortunately, supply is not keeping up with demand, so there is a significant skills shortage throughout the country, in both urban and rural areas.

Symbiosis has long recognised the need for increased vocational skills, and began sewing training through the TTIS project in 1997. During the last decade, this project alone has been responsible for equipping more than 2000 women with sewing skills through four-month sewing courses. A large proportion of these women have successfully increased their income through self-employment or by joining the burgeoning garments industry.

Symbiosis now has three separate projects within its Vocational Training Program. In addition to sewing, these addressed training needs in areas such as computing, hair dressing and beauty salon work, embroidery, fish farming, animal husbandry and vegetable production. Depending upon the availability of qualified trainers, Symbiosis is keen to expand into other areas such as electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other trades.