'University system to higher level, govt's aim'

'Graduates will be job providers instead of job seekers':

Waruna PADMASIRI

In future university graduates will be job providers rather than job seekers, Secretary to the ministry of Higher Education Prof Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, said addressing ministry and University Grants Commission officials at a ceremony held on Monday.

Funds have been allocated in the budget to create 1,500 entrepreneurial graduates. "From this year onwards, students who graduate from universities will not be unemployed. We are working especially to create vocational graduates at six universities.

"Various additional courses, such as, CIMA, Chartered and Nursing are ready to commence," Navaratne said.

Describing the key tasks for the year ahead, the Secretary said, "there is a lot of work for us to do this year. Amongst these are the introduction of the 'Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Qualification Framework Bill', the 'Innovative Graduates' programme, computerizing all universities, implementing the 'Kavitha' programme, changing the education system from a teacher centered to a student centered one, bringing six universities to international standards, providing scholarships for 100 students with special needs and creating the facilities required for that and taking the entire university system to a higher level with the assistance of both the state and the non-state sector."

Navaratne said that the cooperation of everyone is hoped for achieving these targets for the year.