South Korea looks for physically fit Lankans

Army physical trainers to conduct training

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

Inclusive physical training programmes will be given to all aspirants who have applied for jobs in South Korea, ensuring that Sri Lanka will gain the maximum through the employment permit system between Sri Lanka and Korea.

Not only physical training programmes but also Korean language programmes will be conducted and the applicants should have more than 50% of the marks to be qualified to work in Korea.

“This is the continuation of the Employment Permit System which was introduced a couple of years ago and became a failure due to lack of training which resulted in a very low outflow. That’s the reason this time our main concern is training,” said Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

Minister Rambukwella said a quota of 11,000 to 14,000 had been secured and the training programmes were compulsory with around 28 training centres established.“There is a MOU between the Korean and Sri Lankan governments so private agencies cannot directly get involved but some of them will assist in finding recruits,” he said.

Foreign Employment Bureau chairman, Kingsley Ranawaka said the bad selection of previous years had created a negative image with South Korean employers. A broader promotional effort will be made in Korea in order to bring back the demand for Sri Lankan workers, he said.

“The comprehensive training in physical fitness will be significant this time and will be conducted by Army physical trainers. Last time a large number of workers were sent back and some were weak as they had not received any physical training before leaving the country. Most of them were not physically fit when they left the country for jobs which need much hard work” Mr. Ranawaka said.

“We are hoping to change the entire system of recruiting. It will be a decentralized one and students from 3 to 4 schools from each district would be chosen for an orientation programme on Korean language. Those who score more than 50% of the marks will be eligible to apply for the jobs” he said.

The Foreign Employment Bureau will be recruiting around 30 Korean language teachers for the language learning programme.“Even after the physical and language training programmes are over, there usually is a time gap before those selected leave for Korea. We hope to recruit them as volunteer development officers in Sri Lanka, to make sure they won’t idle” he said.