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Training Lankan youth for overseas jobs By Akhry
Ameer The objective
of offering these qualifications is to create employable Sri Lankan
youth in domestic and international markets attracting better salaries.
Minister Kabir Hashim in his message at the signing of the agreement
said, "The agreement between the Ministry and City and Guilds
will translate into greater GDP/economic prosperity and position
Sri Lanka as a leading exporter/developer of skilled manpower in
the region." Michael Swan,
Chief Executive - International of C&G said that the awarding
body has had a 60-year association with Sri Lanka where students
have been directly registering for exams. Last year C&G appointed
a local representative and is now in the process of establishing
a Sri Lankan office. He added that
over 60,000 students are currently following various vocational
and technical education courses in public tertiary education institutions.
However, the ministry has recognized many problems in these courses
relating to productivity, skills, etc. and do not meet industry
standards. The introduction of the option of sitting for C&G
international examinations aims to bridge gaps in industry demand.
As its qualifications are recognized internationally, Swan said
the Gulf could prove to be a market with better job potential and
salaries for Sri Lankans. C&G works
with 52 different business sectors and offers over 500 various subjects
including areas such as construction, office administration, and
electronics. This enables workers like carpenters, welders, etc.
to hold qualifications for their skills. The body's International
Vocational Qualifications (IVQ) is offered twice a year and involves
a combination of exams and competency tests. C&G is a 125-year-old non-profit vocational qualification awarding body established by a royal charter. In the United Kingdom alone the body commands more than 50% market share awarding close to 11 million vocational educational qualifications. The body has a presence in over 100 countries through a network of representatives and offices. The body has planned to expand its international presence and offer its courses via e-learning. Ceylinco Life honours top performers Ceylinco Life
has marked another year at the helm of the private sector insurance
industry by rewarding the company's top performers at its 15th annual
Life Awards presentation. The event brought together more than 1,200 sales consultants, sales executives, regional sales managers and senior management from all parts of the country, including for the first time, personnel from the northern and eastern provinces. Ceylinco Consolidated
Chairman Deshamanya Lalith Kotelawala stressed the need for the
company to focus on fighting poverty in the rural areas. Recalling
Ceylinco Life's modest beginnings, he said the loyalty and commitment
of the company's staff had enabled it to be the leader in its sector
for 11 successive years. "We have a duty towards our country and society," Kotelawala stressed. "There are still many poverty-stricken people in the rural areas. There are many unemployed graduates and small entrepreneurs living in difficult circumstances. We can fight poverty, we have the resources and the people, all we need is the will," he said. A notable feature of the awards ceremony was the presence as guest of honour of Takehiko Yamaguchi former Senior Manager of Dai-ichi Insurance of Japan, who is currently the Managing Director of FALIA - the Foundation for the Advancement of Life Insurance Around the World. SriLankan wins 'Best Airline of the Year in Central Asia' SriLankan Airlines
has been named 'Best Airline of the Year in Central Asia' for the
third consecutive year by Skytrax Research of the UK. The survey
was carried out between August 2002 and March 2003 through travel
panel research, corporate traveller questionnaires, online customer
surveys, telephone interviews and passenger interviews. SriLankan Airlines
Chief Executive Officer Peter Hill said this prestigious award was
an invaluable endorsement of the airline, more so because it comes
from a widely represented base of international customers. "This
award bears unique testimony to the consistent high standards we
maintain and high quality of service we offer," he says. The ninth in
a series of programmes aimed at bringing awareness of career development
organized by Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) and CIMA among students was
held recently at Jaffna. SLT and CIMA
have joined together to make children aware of carrier development
and give guidance to students who show interest in accountancy,
marketing, personal management and administration. The SLT acts
as the strategic partner in this exercise. The Jaffna seminar was
organized by the Department of Undergraduates, Jaffna College. More
than 500 students from six schools participated in this career development
programme. Upali Ratnayake,
Executive Director-CIMA Sri Lanka Division, Claude Perera, Vice
President-CIMA Sri Lanka Division, Dr. Kennedy Gunawardena, Senior
Lecturer Sri Jayawardenapura University and Ajantha Seneviratne,
Deputy General Manager (Teleshop), SLT delivered lectures at the
seminar.
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