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by Shirajiv Sirimane

'There are over 30,000 undergraduates in Sri Lanka and this number is increasing steadily.'

One of the main reasons for the unemployment rate among graduates is that though they have paper qualifications most of them do not have a good knowledge of business English. "Most of these unemployed graduates do not have enough confidence to face the highly competitive private sector working environment," said Elan Corporate Etiquette (ECE) Managing Director Nayomini Weerasooriya. She said that the government should come up with a scheme where graduates should be given career counselling as to how they should adapt themselves to work in the private sector.

She said that the Ministry of Foreign Employment has taken the initiative in this regard and is conducting programs for expatriate workers in the Middle East.

She said that she has received information that the World Bank is funding projects of this nature and that the government should explore the possibility in this area.

She said that a person will not get a second chance to make a first impression at a business interview as most people evaluate a person the first time.

"This is why in developed countries such as the US corporate etiquette services had been made compulsory and people are specially hired on a regular basis by companies to train their staff at all levels.

For example, in Japan and the Far East, people take etiquette seriously. In France, even dress codes are taken seriously. People may even sometimes evaluate a person's business on such criteria," she said.

Weerasooriya said that she saw a big void in Sri Lanka in this area and set up her company, Elan Corporate Etiquette.

"For the first time Elan Corporate Etiquette is offering a comprehensive range of Corporate Etiquette service to companies. She said that a series of programs have been conducted by them for companies such as Ceylinco Group and many banks.

Weerasooriya, one of the first to launch a company specializing in corporate communications and public relations during the 90s, Niche Corporate Communications said that knowing people's skills make a good employee even better. Having been Editor of Sri Lanka's leading English women's magazine, Satyn since 1998 she said that the company provides expertise and know-how on every aspect of etiquette. "There are specific programs for junior and senior management categories. We are already working with many leading companies in providing such expertise to their staff and management."

In addition to Elan Corporate Etiquette, Nayomini also runs the Jrohi Training, which offers Business English courses.

Weerasooriya commenced her career as a journalist in 1982 and left for Europe in 1984, where she worked as a Journalist specializing in first world - third world relations with the Inter-Nations Press Agency in Bonn, then West Germany.

More information etiquette could be obtained from their e-mail: [email protected]

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