Nuwara Eliya gets India's fifth VTC

India had undertaken to implement projects to set up Vocational Training Centres (VTC) in various parts of Sri Lanka under Indian grant assistance to help students to gain professional knowledge to gain employment and encourage self-entrepreneurship, Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha said.

The High Commissioner inaugurating a VTC at Nuwara Eliya, set up with an Indian grant assistance of Rs 215 million, said VTC Nuwara Eliya was the fifth VTC set up with Indian government support.

He said it would help students from the Central Province and adjoining areas to pursue training and build a career in vocational trade. India earlier supported the setting up of VTCs at Hatton, Puttalam, Vantharamullai and Onthachimadam in Batticaloa. The High Commissioner also encouraged students to avail scholarships offered by India, which had almost trebled from this year.

Kantha visited Nuwara Eliya from November 17 to 18.

The High Commissioner along with Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma inaugurated the Vocational Training Centre, Nuwara Eliya, by formally handing over equipment installed at the centre.

A Memorandum of Understanding for setting up the VTC in Nuwara Eliya with an Indian grant assistance of Rs 215 million was signed with the Sri Lankan government in July 2011.

With the handing over of the machinery and equipment, the VTC will start imparting vocational training to students in seven trades (machine shop; industrial and domestic electrician; electronics; hardware and networking; information technology lab; automobile and aluminum fabrication).

Minister Alahapperuma thanked the Indian government and the people for providing heavy equipment to the VTC at Nuwara Eliya

He said: "India is not only Sri Lanka's close and intimate neighbour but also racially, culturally and economically so close that no other country in the world could be compared".