The industrial sector, particularly the readymade garment (RMG) industry, is currently undergoing a significant shift towards automation.
In this context, a substantial portion of the RMG workforce in the country faces the risk of unemployment as hiring slows.
Shimmy Technologies, an organization dedicated to technology education and skill development, has stepped up to provide assistance.
Over the past seven years, the company has trained over 6,000 workers from various RMG factories and technical training centres in the country.
To mark this milestone, Shimmy Technologies recently organized an event at a hotel in Dhaka.
Present at the event were Shimmy’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sarah Krasley, Director of Operations Ashley Nichols, Bangladesh Business Development Lead Shahriyar Hasan,
and Head of Training and Field Operations Rudro Rahman.
During the event, Sarah Krasley, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shimmy Technologies, explained,
“We have developed Upskill, our video game-based application, with structured 4-hour training sessions that help sewing machine operators gain the technical skills they need to stay relevant
as automation changes the nature of production work. Since 2018, we have been providing training to workers in various RMG factories in Bangladesh.”
Sarah further emphasized, “To date, Shimmy has successfully trained 6,000 workers, with 90% of them expressing satisfaction with the training,
stating that they have gained valuable knowledge and even shared this with their colleagues.”
She also highlighted that 78% of apparel workers trained by Shimmy felt they could confidently operate the new automated machinery.
Sarah stated, “The employees we have trained are effectively adapting to evolving technology by acquiring essential skills.”
It is worth noting that Sarah Krasley was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the USA—an industrial town
where the legacy of factory work is central. She has been traveling to Bangladesh for the last 10 years.
During her time in Bangladesh, she closely interacted with the country’s apparel workers, gaining insight into their challenges and seeking solutions.
In 2016, she established Shimmy Technologies.
