'Skills for vulnerable groups, a major challenge'

Ishara Mudugamuwa

Skills development for vulnerable groups remains a major challenge in Sri Lanka. ILO hopes that the National Strategy on Tertiary, Vocational Education and Training(TVET) Provision for Vulnerable People in Sri Lanka will enhance the employability of vulnerable groups through improved access to quality training, International Labour Organization Senior Programme Officer and Country Officer for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Shafinaz Hassendeen said.

The officer was participating at the launching ceremony of the National Strategy on TVET Provision for Vulnerable People in Sri Lanka.

"While considerable efforts have already been made in strengthening the overall TVET systems, there is a general consensus that the outreach of the formal training system and other opportunities for skills development of vulnerable groups are still limited. This limits their prospects of gaining decent employment."he said. The senior officer also said that traditionally in most countries, the vocational training sector does not cater to the needs of those peoples or groups who have been labeled as vulnerable. "It is very heartening to see that in a country such as Sri Lanka, which has faced enormous challenges due to a prolonged conflict and recovery from the tsunami which has also dramatically increased the vulnerability of much of the population that sensitivity is being demonstrated by the formal skills sector towards a target group that it would not normally look at." he said.

TVET Director General T A Piyasiri said the TVET provision for vulnerable people in Sri Lanka is the policy document for providing vocational education and training for vulnerable groups in the country. Implementing proposed policies and strategies of this document fulfills intention of the Mahinda Chintana. It has been developed within the broad guidelines of TVET policy framework as well.

According to the TVET Director General, the document aims to convert the TVET policy No. 80 into action. The National Consultation on Skills Development for Vulnerable Group in 2008, identified six groups as vulnerable groups which would require immediate attention to find awareness of vocational training. The identified groups are disadvantaged women especially those heading households, people with disabilities(mental and physical), disadvantaged youth including school dropouts and former child labourers, poor including people in plantation areas, rural and urban poor, persons affected by conflict including internally displaced persons, ex- combatants and migrant workers.

TVET Chairman Prof. Dayantha Wijesekara, Youth Affairs Ministry Additional Secretary Nilanthi Sugathadasa, ministry officials, representatives from employers organizations, worker organizations and other distinguished people participated.