The Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry (CEBAI) has received accreditation as a Registered Training Organization (RTO) from the Bangladesh Technical Education Board, the statutory authority for quality assurance and certification for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

CEBAI was established through a joint effort of ILO, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Swedish retailer H&M and the Swedish government in late 2014.

Its role is to implement certified training within the national skills development policy (NSDP) of Bangladesh to improve the quality of work and productivity in RMG factories and to enable workers to have their skills formally recognized.

Srinivas Reddy, ILO County Director for Bangladesh said, “ILO considers CEBAI as an important new institution driven by the industry to play a valuable role in meeting the changing needs of the Bangladesh RMG sector as it seeks to move up the value chain. At the same time it helps RMG workers, particularly women, improve their skills, incomes and gain skills certification.”

The RTO certification will enable CEBAI to run training courses as per the National Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF), which is based on competency based training methodology. The accreditation will also help CEBAI conduct certification for recognition of prior learning (RPL).

CEBAI will furthermore deliver training and certification for instructors, industry trainers and assessors and also works with managers and owners of enterprises. Consistent with employment in the industry, the majority of beneficiaries will be women and there is also a target for 5 per cent of participants to be people with disabilities.