Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro has highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and Italy in promoting safe, regular and skills-based migration and preventing irregular flows.
He has emphasised the role of Italian language proficiency, civic knowledge and professional training in preparing prospective migrant workers for employment and integration into Italian society.
The Italian Embassy in Dhaka organised a public presentation titled “Language, Civic and Professional Training for Skilled Migration to Italy” on Tuesday, bringing together senior government officials, diplomatic representatives, international organisations and about 300 trainees of pre-departure training projects for work migrants to Italy.
Prime Minister’s Adviser and Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Spokesperson Dr Mahdi Amin attended the programme as the chief guest.
The speakers included European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bangladesh Dr Laura Nicole Tomm-Bonde and Head of Programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Bangladesh Gunjan Dallakoti.
Ambassador Alessandro said there is a limit to the number of migrants that Italy can absorb, warning against looking for shortcuts that might put money and the life of a migrant worker at risk.
The event reaffirmed the shared commitment of Bangladesh, Italy and their international partners to promoting safe, regular and skills-based migration, while creating new opportunities for Bangladeshi workers to access dignified employment in Italy, without any need to resort to intermediaries and pursue illegal passages, said the Italian Embassy in Dhaka.
Presentations of current private sector-led projects were delivered by Antonio Milo, representing “Frontiere Skills”, and Massimiliano De Fusco, representing “Format”.
The training entails basic Italian language skills, fundamental civic studies on Italy, and professional qualifications related to each project’s working sector.
Each project is assessed before it can be approved by an inter-ministerial committee led by Italy's Ministry of Labour and Social Policies.
Prospective migrants access the programme at no cost, as the expenses are sustained by the implementing private sector entities.
In his speech, Mahdi Amin highlighted the Bangladesh government’s commitment to expanding skilled, transparent and affordable overseas employment opportunities.
He also expressed its interest in developing the training model further and extending similar opportunities to other sectors and international labour markets.
The importance of learning a third language - Italian as one of them - was also emphasised by him.
The audience was mainly comprised of prospective migrants selected by Frontiere Skills for the project “TASTE” in the sectors of restaurant and hospitality, currently attending training classes at the Hotel Regency, as well as a group of students from the project by Format “Tessere il Domani” in the textile sector.