Free engineering training for rural kids

By J.A.L.Jayasinghe

The Engineering faculty, University of Peradeniya together with Kelani Cables Ltd, has come forward to assist rural students unable to gain university entrance to study engineering by providing facilities for them to study electric engineering technology free of charge.

As a leading and renowned institute of technical education in Sri Lanka the engineering faculty of Peradeniya University has co-partnered with Kelani Cables Ltd in providing technical know-how to these students.

This programme was inaugurated with the participation of professor S.B.S.Abekoon, the Dean of the faculty of Engineering of Peradebiya university; Hemantha Perera the Managing Director of Kelani Cables Ltd, Dr. Sanath Alahakoon the Divisional Head of Engineering Faculty of Peradeniya University, Professor Janaka B.Ekanayaka of Engineering Faculty , Christian Nover, Assistant General Manager of Kelani Cables Ltd.

Through this scheme, Engineers and the Technicians engaged in production of cables are provided with the technical resources available at the engineering faculty. The selection of students for this technical programme would be through an interview board and the selection would be purely on merit.

Kelani Cables Ltd which is a local company with a standing of 37 years of experience and a workforce of over 350 employees of both sexes has an annual turn over of 1.78 billions. The company has been awarded the silver medal in 2005 and the gold medal in 2006 for being the most outstanding entrepreneur of the year.

At the end of this technical training course conducted by the engineering faculty of Peradeniya University and Kelani Cables Ltd the successful candidates would be awarded a university accepted certificate. The Engineering faculty of Peradeniya University and Kelani Cables Ltd have entered into a five year contract to provide this course of study of which particulars would be published in newspapers shortly.