RAJSHAHI, April 28, 2024 (BSS) - Technical and Vocational Education Week 2024 began at the technical and vocational institutions with the theme of 'Smart Shikkha Smart Desh, Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh' here today.

At Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Commissioner of Rajshahi division Dr Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir has opened the weeklong programmes through releasing pigeons, balloons and festoons as chief guest.

"We are now in the era of the fourth industrial revolution and competence and knowledge are the main challenges of the revolution," said Commissioner Dr Humayun Kabir, while addressing the inaugural ceremony.

He also said progress in technical education is the precondition to attain competence.

Dr Humayun Kabir said there are negative concepts related to technical education that only the students from the less-incoming families read here. But there are enormous scopes of jobs in technical and vocational education.
 
He said need-based vocational training for the female youths of poor families is very important. At the same time, post-training employment can eradicate the unemployment problem.
 
"We have no way but to generate more technically and technologically sound women to meet up the social demands as it is being increased gradually," he mentioned.
 
The entrepreneurs should come forward towards establishing small and medium industries in the region to create employment opportunities for regional development, he added.

The inaugural session was followed by a colourful rally in the RPI campus.

RPI Principal Abdur Rashid Mallik, Principal of Engineering and Survey Institute Amirul Islam, RPI Academic In-charges Rashidul Amin and Monzurul Islam and Instructor Kabir Ahmed were present.
 
Attending and addressing the opening ceremony of the week at Rajshahi Mohila Polytechnic Institute, Prof Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, MP, said the present government has attached priority to the technical and vocational educations for boosting the number of competent workforces.

The government under the prudent and farsighted leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been expanding technical institutions to the grassroots level aimed at transforming the youths living in villages into competent workforce through bringing them under the need-based technical and vocational educations.

Lawmaker Shafique Badsha viewed technical education is the best way of building competent and skilled human resources. It would be vital for substantial and sustainable growth of the national economy.
 
He told the meeting that the government has taken the decision of implementing a Taka 20,000-crore project for establishing technical school and college in all upazilas, polytechnic institutes in districts and high standard technical institutions in divisional towns.