Our RMG industry has thrived over the past few decades, becoming a driving force for our nation’s economic growth. We hold 7.9% share of the world market, and we are pursuing a vision to expand this share to 12% by 2030. In our growth strategy, we have set priorities on transitioning into a knowledge and innovation-based industry, with enhanced capability to add higher values, diversify our product range within garment, and most importantly adopt technologies and skills. So, while talking about growth, capacity building becomes crucial.
Since the early days, we faced a significant challenge, i.e. lack of local expertise in the textile and garment sectors. We were heavily reliant on foreign experts, hindering our ability to fully capitalise on this immense opportunity. Especially for the mid management professionals, we have acute shortage of skilled people even today. Recognising this critical need, BGMEA took a pivotal step in 2000 and established the BGMEA Institute of Fashion & Technology (BIFT) in Dhaka. BIFT was established to develop the skilled workforce, especially mid management competencies, for the industry and to equip individuals with right skills and knowledge for the garment industry. This would not only ensure availability of the right sets of skills, but also build critical capacity for our nation to draw more investments and save foreign currency which we spend for employing expats.
While BIFT was proved to be instrumental in addressing the skills gap for our industry and also shining light on a new career path for students, the rapid growth of the RMG industry necessitated further expansion of the institute. This led to the establishment of BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) in Dhaka in 2012. BUFT elevated the educational landscape by offering bachelor’s degrees in various garment-related disciplines, such as Textile & Clothing Technology, Fashion Design & Technology, Apparel Merchandising & Management, and Fashion Design. It also introduced an MBA program in Apparel Merchandising.
The combined efforts of BIFT and BUFT have yielded remarkable results. To date, these institutions have collectively produced over 7,750 skilled graduates, including 2,387 undergraduates, 724 MBAs, 664 PGD course graduates, and 3,289 certificate course graduates, contributing significantly to the success of the RMG industry and enhancing its global competitiveness. These skilled professionals are playing a crucial role in propelling the industry forward.
