The garment industry in Myanmar is growing rapidly. Yet, a lack of technical and professional skills in the manufacturing sector has been identified. In order to overcome these challenges, this project has focused on workers’ skills enhancement to increase the skilled workforce and grow the Myanmar garment sector.
Within the project, a training centre has been set up where 3,000 workers have been trained as multi-skilled operators. This 3-months vocational training is unique in Myanmar and has qualified 1,500 trainees of the company and 1,500 externals. A selected number of workers have also been trained as supervisors, line leaders and mechanics.
Another main focus is the introduction of lean management in order to improve the overall factory performance and increase productivity. An external consultancy has conducted training of trainer sessions for internal staff and externals to build capacities in the entire industry.
Cooperation with a local education partner including the design of a degree course in apparel manufacturing engineering has further disseminated knowledge and ensured the sustainability of project structures. Workshops have been provided to students and lecturers as well as internships and factory visits. The cooperation with SMART Myanmar and other external stakeholders has further spread the knowledge to the Myanmar garment industry.
