Efficient workforce, need of the hour says Ranawaka
Ishara MUDUGAMUWA
A proper procedure to recruit a skilled and efficient workforce to
the government service is needed to provide a productive service to the
public, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.
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Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry Secretary K A
Thilakarathna and Power and
Energy Ministry Secretary M M C Ferdinando exchange the MoU. |
Participating at the MoU signing ceremony between the Department of
Technical Education and Training and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB)
to conduct a special electrician training course, the minister said as
mentioned in the Mahinda Chintana - Vision for the future, President
Mahinda Rajapaksa aims to develop Sri Lanka as an energy and knowledge
hub in Asia. He said the President has focused his attention to uplift
the education and power and energy sectors.
The minister said this agreement is a combination of these two
separate fields.
“The government has taken measures to develop transmission circuits,
power plants, etc. We hope to produce a skilled workforce to the CEB
through this agreement,” Ranawaka said. He said that in 2002, Sri Lanka
had 2.8 million electricity consumers. “Today it is five million. Though
there is a 40 percent growth in consumers, the CEB work force has not
been increased during that period,” Ranawaka said. “ The government has
taken measures to supply electricity to the entire country by 2013. We
provided electricity to 2.5 million consumers last year.
We hope to supply electricity for another 2.5 million consumers this
year. With the increase in the number of electricity consumers, it is
necessary to have a skilled workforce to the CEB to provide a better
service. This agreement will be a turning point to achieve that,” he
said. Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma
said technical and vocational education was not given its place in the
country’s education system. “President Mahinda Rajapaksa always directs
us to give priority for skills when providing employment.
This government never considers caste, class or political views when
providing employment,” the minister said. Youth Affairs and Skills
Development Ministry Secretary K A Thilakarathna, Power and Energy
Ministry Secretary M M C Ferdinando, CEB chairman Prof Wimaladharma
Abeywickrama and Department of Technical Education Director General
Chithral Ambawaththa also participated. |
