Lanka to send better prepared migrant workers
Rasika SOMARATHNA
Sri Lanka will strive to send better prepared migrant workers abroad
in the future, to up the country's stakes at the highly competitive
global market, Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister,
Keheliya Rambukwella said on Tuesday.
The Minister was unveiling a new training program to develop
knowledge, skills and attitude of prospective Lankan migrant domestic
aides and caregivers.
The new training program designed with the help of International
Organization for Migration (IOM) is expected to impart knowledge to
outgoing migrant workers to enhance their skills in accordance with the
stipulated international levels.
Safe migration for employment is an emerging hope for many Sri
Lankans. As a result the ever increasing labour migrant fraternity (in
the excess of 1.6 million) has become the country's highest foreign
exchange earner (US $ 2.5 million + annually)today. The House
Keeper\Domestic Aide and Caregiver, two of the most popular occupations
chosen by Lankan migrant workers, is considered as two out of the ten
fastest growing employment avenues worldwide.
However, a comprehensive pre-departure training program to up their
standards to professional levels has been lacking.
The newly acquired knowledge is also expected to help improve migrant
worker rights and protection from possible abuse.
Minister Rambukwella addressing foreign employment officials, IOM
officials and the media at the launch also asserted that Sri Lanka with
such structural changes in the future would strive to become one of the
best skilled and professional labour providers in the global market.
The newly designed House Keeper\Domestic Aide training program would
be of four month duration and those who successfully complete this
program will be given a general certificate to prove their competency.
The Caregiver Course runs through a span of six months and successful
candidates would be qualified to serve in institutions such as
children\elders\nursing homes, child nurseries, rehabilitation homes,
and places for children with special needs.
With the development of these programs the Ministry plans to initiate
a dialogue with all stakeholders to evolve a strategy to implement the
training program including the introduction of testing and evaluation
systems to ensure that all employees have successfully completed the
required training before such workers leave Sri Lanka.
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