Revamping of professional training of plantation employees
BY DR. N. YOGARATNAM
Consultant, National Institute of Plantation
Management
As the Island's prime agri-business, the professionally
managed plantation organisations have a human resource component that
assumes massive proportions - about 23 CEOs, 150 Senior Executives and
supporting staff in the Head Office, 2000 Superintendents/Managers and
Assistant Superintendents, 10,000 operational estate staff and as many
as about 370,000 workers.
Whereas the industry's control over land, weather and
market conditions is somewhat restricted, the single and most important
sphere in which it has influence and is amenable for upgradation is the
human factor.
Given the requisite education and training, it is
essentially this feature that will determine plantation effectiveness in
the long-term.
In the conventional plantation model, training is
carried out continuously at various level, both for new recruits and
those in service, through what is known as 'on-the-job-training'.
For estate level Executives, this involves the Senior
Superintendents taking on young entrants under their wing and
disseminating to them the benefit of their knowledge and experience.
While there is much merit on this time-tested system, it
has been accepted that it is necessary to supplement it with a more
professional approach to training and retraining.
Seen in a wider perspective, training should constitute
only a part of the long and continuous chain of learning culture that
encompasses, information, knowledge, skill, insight, foresight and
wisdom.
The emphasis would therefore necessarily be different
for the various categories of plantation personnel, rather than placing
everybody under the generic nomenclature for training.
The Governing Board of the NIPM is in the process of
implementing a restructuring programme of NIPM to meet the challenges
ahead for the plantation Industries.
As the Government's policy framework encourages greater
private sector participation, the roles and responsibilities of the NIPM
which is the focal point for manpower development in the plantation
industry, has also to be redefined in keeping with the changing demands
of the government and its clients in the plantation sector.
The proposed organizational structure to meet these
challenges is illustrated in chart 1.
Chairman
Board of Governors
Training Organization
Executive Director (CEO)
Director - Examinations
Examination, Planning and Policy,
Administration and Finance
Role and functions of the restructured NIPM
The revamped NIPM is expected to function as an "Apex"
body performing regulatory functions for training in plantation
management in Sri Lanka.
It would be mainly responsible for transfer of
technology to the Plantation Sector, co-ordination of relevant matters
between the Ministry of Plantation Industries and the proposed Training
organization or the Training Company, conduct of examinations including
the setting up of question papers, evaluation and standardization and
award of certificates, periodical performance evaluation of the Training
organization Company and conferment of Professional membership
(fellowships) of NIPM to eligible personnel in the plantation industry.
In addition NIPM will award BSc. degree in Plantation Management jointly
with the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka.
The functions of the restructured NIPM is
expected to be:
Transfer of technology: Coordinate and facilitate the
transfer of technology developed by the plantation crops research
institutes to the growers.
Coordination of institutional matters: Formulation of
training strategies, maintenance of academic standards, conduct of
examinations, performance evaluation of the training provided by the
Training Institution Company and other related matters.
Conduct Examinations - Conducting examinations,
evaluation and standardization and issue of certificates to the
successful candidates, who have followed training courses/ programmes
conducted by the Training Institution/ Company.
Award of BSc. Degree - will award BSc. Degree in
Plantation Management jointly with the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka.
Accreditation of Plantation Degree and Diploma - This
will be the responsibility of NIPM. The Accreditation will be undertaken
at least in five year cycles.
Award of Professional Membership (Fellowship) -
Empowered to confer professional membership namely: Fellow Member (FIPM),
Associate Member (AIPM), Student member and ensures the maintenance of
high standards of professional competence in the industry.
Library Facilities - will provide existing library
facilities and other electronic media to the students and facilitate
access to new information that is being generated by the respective
research institutes.
Publications - will encourage and facilitate publication
on different crop sectors in collaboration with the scientists of
different research organizations in catering to the needs of the
extension and training programmes of the sector.
Role and functions
The Training Organisation/ Company would be mainly
responsible for undertaking the training functions of the NIPM.
It also includes the formulation of training strategies
to cater to the needs of the plantation industry, designing of academic
and training courses programmes, development of learning modules and
learning resources, assisting NIPM to provide consultancy service on
plantation management to State plantation companies and other
organizations, publications, development of affiliations with national
or / and international institutions for conducting of academic /
professional study courses/ training programmes and generally perform as
a reputable training institution in plantation management and function
as a self-reliant organization utilizing national and international
experts in the sector/ Industry. It will also function as commercial
venture and would be expected to:
* Offer training courses/ programmes in plantation
management to international students and organizations.
* Offer distance learning courses for external students
* Sponsor and conduct seminars, workshops, symposia and
conferences.
* Conduct surveys for identification of training needs
of stakeholders and the plantation industry.
* Design demand driven academic/ professional study
courses/ training programmes in plantation management for various
categories of personnel working in the plantation industry.
* Preparation and development of learning Modules and
Learning Resources.
* Provide consultancy services to plantation sector in
collaboration with NIPM.
* Offer and facilitate managerial, technical and
administrative advice and services relevant to the Plantation Industry
to State and private sector organizations within or outside Sri Lanka.
* Carryout socio-economic research into areas of
plantation management and labour relations jointly with NIPM.
* Publications - Journals, magazines, books, newsletter,
prospectus, etc. relating to plantation management and development
jointly with NIPM.
* Management of accommodation facilities.
* Intellectual property rights shall be licensed through
NIPM.
In conclusion, based on the emerging needs of the
plantation industry, improvements to the conventional style of
professional training of plantation employees, identifying and assigning
priorities have been proposed and appropriate organizational changes to
ensure their effective implementation have also been proposed with the
singular purpose of enhancing the usefulness of the training activities
to the industry, that is expected to be served. |
