Garment industry: Lack of skilled labour hitting export potential
The establishment of a training centre in the export-oriented city would start a new era of development and prosperity which will also produce skilled and trained work force, he said.
The PRGMEA chairman said “We are considering imparting training separately to male and female workers in different sections of the industry.”
“We are making adequate efforts to put the industry on modern lines and to enhance its export volume to many fields,” Ijaz said. “We are making all-out efforts to form Federation of Pakistan Textile Industry consisting of the entire textile value chain to safeguard interests of all textile stakeholders,” he added.
Ijaz said the government should immediately address the energy issue facing the textile industry, adding that electricity should be provided to processing industry without interruption.
There is a great scope of growth of value-added garments industry in the export-oriented city of Sialkot which is now producing 40% of the world’s martial arts garments.
However the growth of Sialkot’s value-added garments industry can only be possible through the removal of hurdles like lack of skilled labour, inadequate electricity supply and irregular gas supply.
Provision of middle management and trained and skilled labour is vital for expansion of garments industry for giving the maximum job opportunities. The creation of the centre for training women entrepreneurs can be a key development as there is great scope for women in the garments industry.
Industrialists of the area are now demanding that the government needs to set up a Garments Training Institution.
They also believe that garments exporters should also focus on enhancing the quality of value-added garments, besides, preparing them to meet the global challenges of WTO as well as the restrictions placed by the European Union. Exporters in Sialkot believe that Pakistan is currently utilising just 50% of the total potential of value added garments.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2011.
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Well every industry is suffering from lack of skilled labor in Pakistan. Its not that they just lack skills because skills can be taught. It’s the drug addiction, stealing, lying, disappear for 10 days per month, no punctuality, HAD DHARMEI etc etc.
I was warned by many people about the above traits in the Pakistani labor but never expected it to be so bad. I have also now hired females which I must say are slightly better than the male counter part but even the female work force in Pakistan has its drawbacks. Majority 99.99% of the Pakistan females (labor class) who step outside their house do it because
1) Husband refuses to pay for kids 2) Abusive husband and need to become financially strong 3) Divorced 4) Widower 5) Not getting married
All the above come to work with a baggage which affects productivity. We can not capture the export market with this kind of work force. Having said this, our lazy females need to come out and work like the Thai or German woman.
Yes, it’s important to have training institutes for the labor force but will these institutes teach them VALUES? I have visited many factories in China, Thailand and Taiwan and wish we can export their labor.