‘Kelani Shakthi’ transforms Jaffna youth into skilled electricians
View(s):The first batch of students who passed out of the ‘Kelani Shakthi’ programme has established themselves as professional electricians in the north.
Successful students with officials. From left: T. Jayakanth, S. Jeganathan, Jayantha Wijesinghe, (Coordinator, Kelani Shakthi), Dr. T. Thiruvaran (Course Director, Kelani Shakthi), S. Theneswaran, S. Siva Yogarajan and S. Elanganathan.
In a bid to groom youth in the Jaffna peninsula as electrical technicians, Kelani Cables PLC launched the ‘Kelani Shakthi’ professional development programme in 2015 and the MoU of ‘Kelani Shakthi’ was signed in 2014 between Ms. Vasanthi Arsaratnam, Vice Chancellor/senior professor, Jaffna University and Mahinda Saranapala, Director/CEO, Kelani Cables PLC, rhe company said in a media release last week.
The programme, initiated to arm school leavers and self-employed persons with electrical technical skills, was inaugurated at the Jaffna University engineering faculty in Kilinochchi.
The progress of the first batch of passed out students emerged during a recent visit by co – initiator and coordinator of the ‘Kelani Shakthi’ skill development programme, Jayantha Wijesinghe to the Faculty of Engineering, University of Jaffna to ascertain the progress of the first set of students who successfully completed the final examination in 2016.
The meeting was arranged by Dr. A. Authpothraja, Dean Faculty of Engineering; Dr. T. Thiruvaran, Course Director of the ‘Kelani Shakthi’ and Channa Jayasinghe, Manager Brand Development of Kelani Cables Plc.
The beneficiaries of the programme expressed their satisfaction at the meeting with the co – initiator and coordinator of the Kelani Shakthi who visited them. Driver by profession, S. Jeganathan, 40 years and a father of two from Kilinochchi, said that after completing the ‘Kelani Shakthi’ programme, he continues his job as a driver. However after office hours and during holidays he has been involved in industrial and domestic wiring work in Kilinochchi area. “There is a big demand for professional electricians in Jaffna and we have a wonderful opportunity to earn extra money. I’m very much grateful to the ‘Kelani Shakthi’ programme which paved the way for a comfortable life with my family,” he said.
T. Jayakanthan, 30 years and living in Ponnagar, Jaffna is a father of two. Before joining the ‘Kelani Shakthi’ programme he was employed at the University of Jaffna as a temporary worker. In 2016 after passing the final exam he became a professional electrician in Jaffna.