Edex empowering Lankan youth

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

The youth with higher aspirations seek out more lucrative economic opportunities. The demand for a better educated workforce with market relevant skills is bound to grow in leaps and bounds, EDEX Chairman Kamal Abeysinghe said.

EDEX officials at the press conference

He said However, on the supply side, frustrations could be the inevitable outcome, if most of youth lack the desired standards of education and skills to take up these new positions.

“So one of the biggest challenges the country faces will be to find competent human resources and it is necessary to transform the economic landscape of the nation to a manufacturing and knowledge based services,” Abeysinghe said.

EDEX 2011, the premier national higher education and careers fair in Sri Lanka will be held on January 22, 23 and 24 at the BMICH followed by its twin exhibition at Kandy City Centre, Kandy on January 26 and 27.

The - eighth Expo offers skills, training and academic solutions beyond Colombo and Kandy.

Abeysinghe said the vision EDEX to empower Sri Lankan youth to be globally competitive and remains vibrant”.

It meets the demands of students, school leavers, teachers, parents and first time job-seekers as well as those underemployed.

“There is an urgent need to focus on this emergent issue which can potentially result in dismal social ramifications unless addressed in a pro-active manner”, he said.