Eng. Md. Abul Khair
Principal
SCITI, BSCIC

The Small & Cottage Industries Training Institute (SCITI) was established in January, 1985 under the aegis of the Bangladesh Small & Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC); which is the prime mover for the promotion and development of small and cottage industries in Bangladesh. BSCIC offers a complete package of training and various types of services to the entrepreneurs of which training is one of the important components. The package services commence with pre-investment counseling and extend up to commercial production and marketing.

SCITI is the only public training institute for the development of human resource in the SME sector. This institute mainly provides training to the people of private sector for entrepreneurship and management development. It also provides training to the officials of both public and private sector who are working in different categories in different organizations such as BSCIC, Banks and NGOs. Besides training, the institute also carries out various types of research works on relevant issues, problems and prospects of the SME sector and offers consultancy services as well.

The institute mainly gives emphasis on the development of entrepreneurship. Since the inception of the institute in January, 1985 till December 2018, SCITI has imparted training to 50000 participants of which entrepreneurs encompass about 80% of the total participants. Some participants from Nepal and Sri Lanka have already taken training from this institute. Shortly more participants from different SAARC countries will take part in training courses mainly conducted by the institute in Dhaka but there are many training courses are also conducted by the institute in different areas, districts, upazilas and remote rural areas of the country. The training courses are designed by considering the necessity and pragmatic use of the trainees.

Objectives
The Government of Bangladesh has given special importance to small and cottage industries sector in its industrial policy. The objectives of the institute have been framed in conformity with the national objective for industrialization of the country. Some of the objectives are as follows:
1.  Entrepreneurial and Management skill development of private sector entrepreneurs (both potential and existing).
2.  Management skill development of personnel of GO’s & NGO’s involved in SME sector.
3.  Promotion and extension services related to industrial extension in the SME sector.
4.  Research and consultancy for SME development.
5.  To organize collaborative programme with National/ International Organization for Training/Seminars/Workshops.

Faculties
The Institute carries out its training and research activities through the following six faculties:
1.  Entrepreneurship Development.
2.  Financial Management.
3.  General Management.
4.  Industrial Management.
5.  Marketing Management.
6.  Research and Consultancy.

Training Programme
SCITI organises various types of training courses for the employees working in MSME sector both in public and private sector and also for them who are involved in entrepreneurship. These types of training courses are led to increase the competency in leadership quality of the existing and promising entrepreneurs. The institute organises some training courses those are worth mentioning such as :
1.  To Establish Profitable SMEs.
2.  Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Development For SMEs.
3.  Entrepreneurship Development for New Business Creation.
4.  Women Entrepreneurship Development.
5.  Office Management.
6.  Human Resource Management.
7.  Social Compliance.
8.  Management Information System (MIS).
9.  Industrial Management and Industrial Plan Preparation.
10.  Industrial Management and Compliance.
11.  Product Development, Product Design and Production Management.
12.  Quality Management and Productivity Improvement.
13.  Cottage Industries Management.
14.  Industrial Compliance.
15.  Book Keeping and Accounting.
16.  Small and Medium Industries Financing.
17.  Financial Management.
18.  Product Costing, Pricing and Cost Reduction Techniques.
19.  Marketing Management, Sales Promotion and Marketing Plan Preparation.
20.  Branding and Sales Techinques in a Competitive Market.
21.  Searching Product Market and Sales Promotion Techniques.
22.  Export Marketing.

Besides these, the institute arranges for different types of special training courses as required by different organization.

Training Methodology
Class lectures, group discussions, field visit, business games, role play, case study, simulation, preparation and presentation of reports etc. are used as training methodologies.

Research
The research activities of the institute are undertaken mainly to assess the training needs and to improve the existing training programmes of SCITI. It also carries out research work related to various types of problems and prospects of the SME sector. SCITI also independently does some research work related to SME sector.

Consultancy
Consultancy and information services are extended by SCITI as and when requested by other agencies and entrepreneurs. Some of the consultancy areas are:
w Curricula and course materials development for entrepreneurship and other training programmes.
w Socio-economic evaluation of development projects.
w Preparation of feasibility studies for industrial projects.
w Diagnosis of industrial sickness.
w Research on the area of potentiality.
w Pre-investment and Post-investment counseling etc.

Clientele
Private sector entrepreneurs (both existing and potential), officials of BSCIC, banks and other GOs and NGOs working in SCI/SME sector are the main clientele of SCITI.

Medium of Instruction
Medium of instruction for local participants is Bengali, but for international courses English is used. Training materials are available both in Bengla and English.

Facilities
The institute has a full-fledged audio visual laboratory with multimedia and micro-computer. It also provides residential facilities for the trainees.
Exchange/Request Programmes
SCITI endeavours to share experience and exchanges ideas with other similar institutes at home and abroad for mutual benefit through exchange programmes, seminars, workshops and symposia. Besides this, by signing MoU SCITI already organized Training Courses jointly with SME cell, Ministry of Industries, ADB Financed organizations like Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CWCCI), Women Entrepreneurship Associa-tion of Bangladesh (WEAB), Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI), National Association of Small and Cottage Industries Bangladesh (NASIB), Bangladesh Handloom and Small industries Society, World Bank Financed Project Jute Diversification Promotion Center (JDPC) under the Ministry of Jute, Asian Development Bank Financed Project Bangladesh Agribusiness Develo-pment Project (BADP) under the Ministry of Agriculture, ADB financed project and German Development Co-operation (GIZ) Financed project RIIP-2 under the Ministry of Local Government (LGED). SCITI also conducted Entrepreneurship Development ToT course jointly with Hortex Foundation, SME-SDP, MoI etc.

Technical Co-operation with International Agencies
The Asian Development Bank, The Ford foundation, The Technonet Asia, Overseas Development Administration (ODA), UNIDO, ILO, Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC), German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ), JICA and Manitoba Institute of Management (MIM), Canada have been extending assistance to strengthen institute’s training capabilities.