In recent years, sustainability in the textile industry has received much attention, both in local and global contexts. However, in the setting of Bangladesh, especially in the area of technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
It is unclear where we stand and how to improve further the application-oriented competencies of future specialists in sustainable corporate management.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has conducted a study to identify future industry needs for social and ecological sustainability topics and to assess the curriculum of Textile Diploma Institutes of Bangladesh for training gaps in this regard.
Around 120 interview partners from business, academia and politics actively contributed to this study, which is embedded in the bilateral GIZ project “Higher Education and Leadership Development for Sustainable Textiles in Bangladesh (HELD). On 28th March 2022, GIZ organized a workshop to disseminate the findings among the stakeholders and experts in the field.
Representatives from Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), leading universities, Textile Diploma Institutes, industry representatives, brands, buyers and professional associations participated in the workshop.
Dr. Christian Bochmann, Project Manager HELD, mentioned: “Over the last fifty years Bangladesh has made remarkable development in all areas of life, and today we are meeting here to determine what we can do in the next fifty years in terms of quality education and green curricula”.
Mr. Mohammad Ali Akber Khan, Chairman of BTEB, stressed on strengthening the partnership between Bangladesh and Germany.
He expressed BTEB’s firm intention to transform the TVET sector for a better and sustainable future with the technical assistance of GIZ.
In the workshop, the speakers put an emphasis on mapping out the pressing social and ecological sustainability needs of the textile industry in Bangladesh as well as the gaps in the existing textile-TVET-curriculum.
The study fully addressed these issues. Besides, recommendations were put forward on possible ways to revise and upgrade the curriculum with sustainability topics in a timely and efficient manner.
