Free Opportunity to Work in Italy Through Language and Skills Training

A special opportunity is being created for workers to travel to Italy free of cost through language and skills training, said Mahdi Amin, the Prime Minister’s Adviser for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and Labour and Employment. He also said the process would begin on a limited scale very soon.

Mahdi Amin, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, made the remarks at a seminar titled ‘Language, Civic and Vocational Training for Skilled Migration to Italy’ at Hotel Regency in the capital on Tuesday afternoon.

He said the model, which combines Italian language learning, the acquisition of specific job skills, and the development of appropriate professional conduct and values, was highly significant. The government wants to expand this comprehensive framework nationwide and implement it effectively at different levels.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Italian Embassy and its international cooperation partners.

Speaking as the chief guest, Mahdi Amin said ensuring skilled, orderly and low-cost overseas employment was a specific part of the vision of the newly elected government. Thanking the organisers, he said the event was fully aligned with the government’s future plans.

The Prime Minister’s adviser stressed the importance of harnessing the country’s demographic dividend, particularly its large young population, to achieve economic prosperity. He said it was essential to create an orderly, regulated and transparent pathway for aspiring migrant workers to find employment abroad, significantly reducing migration costs and, where possible, ensuring migration at zero cost.

Mahdi Amin expressed hope that this joint initiative would accelerate the overseas employment of Bangladesh’s skilled workforce.

Government Ready to Provide Policy Support for Expatriate Workers

Mahdi Amin stressed the importance of implementing the model in various domestic and international sectors by drawing on the experience and success of international partners in promoting skilled migration. He said lessons from this successful initiative could help extend the Italian model to different sectors, other countries and new language training programmes with support from various government institutions.

Addressing representatives of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the state-owned manpower-exporting agency Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL), who attended the seminar, Mahdi Amin called on all stakeholders to work together towards a common goal in line with national policy.

He said the government was fully prepared to provide all necessary policy support to integrate the Italian government’s positive initiative into national policy. He also expressed a firm commitment to coordinated efforts involving members of parliament and government officials.

Praising the clear action plans presented by various private-sector organisations in Italy, the Prime Minister’s adviser said the proposed guidelines and initiatives were fully aligned with the vision of the elected government’s Prime Minister. He said they had opened up new prospects for future action.

Recalling the contributions of more than 250,000 Bangladeshis currently living in Italy, Mahdi Amin said with pride that migration had always played the greatest role in building bridges among people, alongside culture, education and healthcare.

He said the contributions of Bangladeshi expatriates to Italian society and its mainstream economy were undeniable, while their remittances were one of the main driving forces of Bangladesh’s economy. Every achievement of expatriate Bangladeshis, he added, was backed by stories of hard work, sacrifice and success.

Hope for Expatriates to Build Bright Futures in Italy Through Skills Training

Noting that Bangladesh’s young people lacked neither talent nor ability, Mahdi Amin said the main challenge was to provide proper guidance, develop their skills and create international opportunities for them.

Assuring students of the elected government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s fullest support at every step, the adviser said the government had taken various initiatives for the welfare of expatriates. An initiative has been taken to introduce an ‘Expatriate Card’, modelled on the Family Card and Farmers Card, to ensure comprehensive social and financial security for Bangladeshi expatriates. He also emphasised making the skilled migration process easier through BOESL and other state-owned institutions.

Mahdi Amin said that, in line with the government’s electoral pledges, the highest priority was being given to teaching young people a third language alongside Bangla and English. The Italian language, modern job skills and professional standards that students are learning at the event reflect the practical implementation of the government’s third-language education programme.

Drawing on the experience of this successful initiative, the government plans to regularly incorporate Italian and other international languages into technical and vocational education curricula.

Addressing the trainees, Mahdi Amin said they were not only building their own careers but also setting unique examples for future generations of how to work skilfully and with dignity on the global stage. He said that travelling to Italy in phases in the coming days would open up immense opportunities for them.

The Prime Minister’s adviser expressed his sincere thanks and gratitude to the Italian Embassy, the European Union, international development organisations and all relevant partners for implementing this unique initiative.

Among others, the seminar was addressed by Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro, European Union (EU) Ambassador Michael Miller, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Dr Laura Tomm-Bonde, Italian Deputy Head of Mission in Dhaka Dr Federico Zamparelli, EU Delegation Deputy Head Baiba Zarina and Giuseppe Di Giovanni, Migration Counsellor at the Italian Embassy.

According to Section 23 of Italy’s Immigration Law 2023, pre-departure training programmes approved by the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies allow skilled workers to enter the country legally each year beyond the quotas set under the ‘Flow Decree’.

The training programmes include basic Italian language lessons, an introduction to Italian citizenship and society, and vocational skills relevant to the respective sectors.

Students selected under the ongoing ‘Test’ project in the hotel and restaurant sector through ‘Frontiers Skills’, as well as trainees in the ‘Formazione’ textile project, also attended the seminar.