Govt plans to introduce Italian as third language: Mahdi Amin

The government plans to introduce Italian as a third language alongside Bangla and English to enhance the skills of workers seeking employment abroad, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Labour and Employment and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Mahdi Amin has said.

He said the government would seek support from the Italian Embassy to introduce Italian language courses at the country's Technical Training Centres (TTCs), drawing on Italy's training model for overseas employment.

Mahdi Amin made the remarks at an event titled “Language, Civic and Professional Training for Skilled Migration to Italy” at a hotel in the capital on Tuesday.

Seeking the Italian Embassy's cooperation, the PMO Spokesperson said the government's election manifesto had placed special emphasis on learning a third language alongside Bangla and English.

He said the government also planned to introduce other foreign languages to improve the employability of Bangladeshi workers in international labour markets.

Describing the training initiative as more than an isolated project, Mahdi Amin said it could serve as a model for broader implementation and expansion in the future.

He added that Italy's experience and international best practices could help advance the initiative through government-level cooperation and support from the European Union (EU).

Addressing the trainees, he said the elected government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, was ready to provide necessary assistance to workers preparing for overseas employment.

The trainees are learning Italian as a third language alongside Bangla and English through a five- to six-month training programme, he said.

Mahdi Amin said, “The trainees are not only building their own careers but also helping develop a new model for Bangladesh. The government will take initiatives to prepare future generations of workers for overseas employment by following their example.”

Highlighting various government initiatives for expatriates, he said the government had already introduced Family Cards and Farmers' Cards and was working to launch a Probashi Card for Bangladeshi expatriates.

He said the government would try to hand over the cards to the trainees before their departure for Italy.