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| Asif Ibrahim, managing director of Newage Group of Industries |
Ibrahim, who is also the president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says, “The prospect of having a career in the sector is also quite good as this industry is poised to take-off over the next five to seven years, due to the China plus one strategy.”
The "China plus one" strategy means that a company should invest not only in China but also another country because the cost of production has gone up substantially in China.
So, the global companies are looking for an alternative destination to source garments. Bangladesh will have preference because of cost competitiveness. Hence, the industry would require a lot of skilled human resources, says Ibrahim.
The RMG sector needs human capital for both the factories and back offices, to lead the organisation. Factory operations consist of various departments -- designing room, sampling room, cutting, sewing, and quality control. The back office consists of merchandising, commercial operations and accounts department.
But the country has a looming crisis in mid-management positions, such as production managers, supervisors, line operators and floor in-charges, to execute factory work efficiently, says Ibrahim.
Back office operations would also require skilled human resources, as the company needs to automate its current operations by implementing Enterprise Resource Planning solutions to be efficient in a highly competitive market, he adds.
Ibrahim, who holds a business degree from the University of North Texas in US, says most mid-level factory managers cannot deliver beyond a certain limit, as they lack formal education and training. They started their careers at entry-level position, like sewing operators and later, took on greater responsibilities because of work experience. Hence, they have limitations and can deliver only up to a certain limit.
But, the good news is that university graduates recently have pursued careers in the RMG sector because of great career prospects, says Ibrahim.
The factory personnel needs to work on production operations, process costing and assembling line management. Office executives must also have computer skills, like Microsoft office applications and sending e-mails, to carry out day-to-day work.
So, Ibrahim, who has nearly 18 years of experience in the RMG sector, calls upon students to get enrolled on undergraduate courses on garments and textiles at the BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology (BIFT), if they are interested to build a career in the sector.
He also suggests graduates take a diploma or short-term course from BIFT and other training institutions because the sector needs both formal education and technical training.
The sector has also some other challenges, like long working hours, deadline driven pressures and initial financial difficulties. So, they have to accept the challenges, overcome the initial financial difficulties, build excellent working relationships with workers and have a good rapport with buyers if they want to build a career here, says Ibrahim.
Web: http://www.newage-group.com
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