40% of hotel staff in Sri Lanka is skilled

Less than 40 per cent of the hotel workforce is skilled as the industry is fighting it hard to retain trained workers who are joining an exodus leaving the country.

The Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) Chairman Shirantha Peiris said at a media briefing on Tuesday that less than 40 per cent of the workforce in the hotels are trained and as a result they are compelled to carry out some measures to increase this number.

He noted that as part of their strategy to retain the workforce they will train most of the untrained staff for a period of one month through a short term training programme to give them an exposure into the sector. This is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded course that has been allocated Rs.25 million.

This training course that is provided free of charge and the certificate will be awarded after one year’s service in the industry to ensure they will give back to their country by working for at 12 months, he said.

The industry is facing a grave situation as they are compelled to hire untrained staff and provide on the job training due to large numbers leaving the country for higher pay. (SD)