DHAKA: The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) and North South University (NSU) Monday jointly inaugurated Environment, Health and Safety Training Center (EHS+ Centre) to train some 2,000 factory managers every year over environment, health and safety.

The centre, first of its kind in Bangladesh, will start imparting training from the latter part of 2014 to factory managers on safety, sustainable energy and environmental development.

ISC president George Hamilton, NSU Vice Chancellor Dr Amin Sarker, Swedish ambassador to Bangladesh Anneli Lindahl Kenny, US Deputy Chief of Mission in Dhaka Jon Danilowicz, BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim and Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BWCCI) president Sangita Ahmed were among others present in the inauguration ceremony organized by NSU.

The ISC founded in 1991 in USA, a nonprofit organization that provides technical expertise and leadership training to solve important global issues such as sustainable development, energy efficiency and environmental protection resulting in lasting change.

Except Bangladesh, the ISC has launched similar academies in Jiangsu of China in 2009 and another one will be inaugurated in India at the end of this year.

Wal-Mart is one of the founding partners of the Bangladesh academy, which will focus on fire safety and building safety training in the wake of the catastrophic Dhaka garment factory collapse in April 2013, which killed more than 1,100 workers. 

The company is collaborating with ISC on curriculum development and encouraging its suppliers to participate in the program.

BDST: 1630 HRS, MAY 12, 2014