Government investment proves its worth only when it delivers tangible results, and few programmes illustrate this better than the hands-on technical training run by the Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (BITAC), Commerce Minister Khondakar Abdul Muktadir said on Tuesday.

The minister made the remarks while distributing certificates and appointment letters to the 20th batch of trainees under a BITAC project titled "Expansion of BITAC's Activities with Special Focus on Women in Hands-on Technical Training for Employment Generation and Poverty Alleviation (Phase-2)," at a function held at the BITAC conference room in Tejgaon.

Unlike many state-funded initiatives of the past that failed to yield the desired outcomes, Muktadir said, this roughly Tk 123 crore project is converting a large number of young men and women into a skilled workforce at relatively low cost, with about 16,000 trainees benefiting from the scheme, a contribution he called significant to industrialisation and employment generation.

He noted that the three-month training builds not only technical competence but also discipline, a sense of responsibility and professionalism among trainees, qualities he said would have a lasting positive impact on their careers.

Stressing that the programme's momentum must not stall once the project period ends, the minister said BITAC's training activities would be expanded, either by extending the current project or launching a new one, to meet the growing demand for skilled manpower in the country's industrial sector.

He also disclosed plans to hold discussions with BITAC instructors next week on robotics, artificial intelligence and other modern technology-based training, alongside a planned visit to inspect trainees' housing, food and overall training environment.

In a notable highlight on women's employment, the minister pointed out that all 165 women trainees in the 20th batch have secured jobs — a full 100 percent placement rate that he described as strong evidence of the project's effectiveness.

Many male trainees, meanwhile, did not take up immediate job offers as they are weighing options to work abroad or become entrepreneurs, he said, calling this too a reflection of the high market value employers place on BITAC training.

Muktadir said BITAC's curriculum would be regularly updated in step with rapid technological change to ensure the workforce produced remains relevant to industry needs.

The minister also handed appointment letters directly to trainees recruited by various industrial groups.

A total of 344 trainees completed the three-month technical training under the 20th batch, of whom 255 have found jobs, the majority of them women. Under Phase-2 of the project overall, 8,465 of the 13,210 trainees trained so far have secured employment, a placement rate of nearly 64 percent.

The event was presided over by BITAC Director General Firoz Uddin, with senior officials from various government departments, industrial enterprises and BITAC in attendance.