The government has created 8 lakh skilled manpower under its 'Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP)' aiming to build the 'Smart Bangladesh'.

The SEIP of the Finance Ministry revealed the information at a function at a city hotel on Wednesday as the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded training programme is at the final stage, said a SEIP press release today.

The SEIP started its journey in 2014 with the aim of making about 8 lakh unemployed youth, women, minority and disadvantaged people skilled by providing training.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister M Tofazzel Hossain Miah spoke at the function as the chief guest with Finance Division Secretary and National Project Director of SEIP Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder in the chair.

Additional Secretary and Executive Project Director of SEIP Fatema Rahim Veena delivered the welcome speech, highlighting the success and achievements of the project in addition to various aspects of the training programme.

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Executive Chairman (Secretary) of National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) Nasreen Afroz, Deputy Country Director of ADB-BRM Jiangbo Ning and President of LFMEAB Syed Nasim Manzur also spoke.

Speaking at the function, Tofazzel Hossain Miah highlighted the various initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to improve the skills of the youth population.

He hoped that the trained youths will play a vital role in the overall development of the country through the unremitting efforts of everyone associated with the SEIP project.

At the event, two publications of SEIP named 'Alakbartika' and 'Empowering Journey: The Triumphs of SEIP Female Trainees' were unveiled.

In addition, awards were conferred on the successfully trained women and model training institutes, followed by a cultural function.