High demand for semi-skilled labour

ESTABLISHING the Japan-Sri Lanka College of Technology has helped in the availability of skilled and semi-skilled labour to fit the needs of local and international market, Director General, Department of Technical Education and Training, Dr. H.L. Obeyesekara said.

He said it has recorded a 80 per cent growth in 2005 and 2006.

Speaking at a briefing held at the Department Dr. Obeyesekara said they have trained 17 trainers, who were sent to Japan on a major training programme.

The Japanese Government provides their expertise, provision of machinery and equipment and the training of Sri Lankan personnel in Japan.

“We trust this made our certificates a much sort after qualification, even for the various migration laws to demand them,” he said.

“We have already completed three model courses and we will continuously conduct various courses on the sectors demanded by the local and international markets, specially on food techniques, construction technology, boat repairing and manufacturing and container management.

The colleges will be built within the nine districts and specialised on segments that are popular in specified areas, Obeyesekara said.

“The abilities and interests of the students will be evaluated through the entrance examination and they will be transferred to the colleges accordingly. The training programmes will be rationalised and assessed through the new National Vocational Qualification guidelines”, Dr Obeyesekara said.

The project also caters to the labour market, by fulfilling the industrialist association’s needs. This training programmes are tailor-made programmes, to suit the local and international labour market as a whole, he said.

Since the service sector is the exceedingly demanding segment of the local and international labour market we have taken action to accommodate courses under this project.

This will help the student to enter themselves into the market with this qualification alone. Skilled labour generation is very attractive in the local and international labour market.

We consider, the semi-skilled labour generation, also to keep a balance in the labour availability in the market, Dr. Obeyesekara said.

The project of Japan International Co-operation Agency’s (JICA) collaboration with the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training and the Department of Technical Education and Training has led to a boom in the labour market overseas for Sri Lankan skilled and semi-skill labour force.

Skilled and semi-skilled labour training by the training centres under this project has succeeded enormously, the Director General said.