DHAKA, March 23, 2023 (BSS) – Immediately after graduation from a private university, Arifa Haider took part in a training of the ICT Division, which helped her get a lucrative job at Augmedix Bangladesh, a US based firm.
 
Arifa Haider, a Computer Science Engineering (CSE) graduate from BRAC University, managed the job of a Lead Trainer of Augmedix Bangladesh, a medical scribing industry focused on US healthcare system.
 
Augmedix, Inc. provides automated medical documentation and data services to large healthcare systems and physician practices, supporting medical offices, clinics, hospitals, emergency departments and telemedicine across the US.

The story of Arifa will inspire the young generation to join IT training to make them world-standard human resources that will ultimately help them find jobs at both local and international job markets.

“As a Lead Trainer I am one of a handful women leaders who now shape our company’s vision and its future, since my days as a trainee scribe 2017,” Arifa told BSS.
 
She went on saying that none would have been possible without getting training under `Hire and Train Programme’ launched by the World Bank financed Leveraging ICT for Growth, Employment and Governance (LICT) project of BCC under ICT Division.

In fact, this training help develop my confidence enough to build my career in ICT, Arifa said.

She was not the lone fortunate who had received training under `Hire and Train Programme’.

 Khairuzzaman Shipon, a senior software engineer of BJIT, a software development company and some 2909 youngsters out of 3524 (80%) got job and became the successful careerist after getting the same training.  

With the success of the said training, the World Bank-financed Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project has been replicating the Hire and Train model to impart training and employment of 20,000 IT graduates by 2026.
 
The project making a partnership with Center for Project Management and Information Systems (PMIS) and Institute of Information Technology (IIT) of Dhaka University and RISE of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has started providing training to 20,000 IT graduates by 2026 on advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), robotics, blockchain through the country’s IT companies.
 
The first batch of 30 graduates hired by the two companies - Neural Semiconductor Ltd. and Think as per their demand are being provided training on Physical Design and Design for Test, the segment of microchips design through Research and Innovation Center for Science and Engineering (RISE) of BUET.

“The main characteristics of the `Hire and Train’ model is: the IT companies will hire the trainees as per their demands on skills about advanced technologies and provide them training,” said Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Ranjit Kumar.

He said the success of building a Smart Bangladesh will depend mostly on acquiring skills on advanced technologies and innovation and research.

Experts, very often, observed that there has been a huge gap between public, private and academia creating hindrance on way to flourish country’s IT sector.
 
But EDGE Project Director Dr Muhammed Mehedi Hassan expressed his views in a different way which is expected to bring a positive impact for the ICT sector.

He said `Hire and Training Programme’ has been designed by the three stakeholders-- public, private and academia. This model has become an ideal example to reduce gap between public, private and academia as it has built an excellent partnership of these three stakeholders.

“We are impressed to see the result of the Hire and Train Model previously as it ensures over 80 percent jobs of the trainees,” World Bank digital development specialist uparna Roy said, hoping that the model would also help the government’s journey build Smart Bangladesh by 2041.