Context
Sri Lanka emerged from decades of armed conflict in 2009, but the country’s economy is still struggling to recover. Young people, especially those in the north of the country, have few prospects of finding gainful employment. At the same time, a significant shortage of skilled labour is threatening the recovery process. The Sri Lankan Government has made reconstruction and the social integration of war victims its top priorities. Yet the region has insufficient resources and expertise to establish demand-oriented vocational training institutions. The provision of vocational training that is tailored to the needs of the economy is indispensable for the peaceful and socially integrative development of Sri Lanka.
Objective
The Sri Lanka German Training Institute (SLGTI) in Kilinochchi is a vocational training institute equipped with state-of-the-art technology. It provides demand-oriented vocational education and training for young people, offering good prospects for future employment or self-employment.
Approach
German development cooperation supports vocational training institutions in the north of Sri Lanka in improving the quality and increasing the range of services offered. The envisaged Sri Lanka German Training Institute (SLGTI) will offer apprenticeship programmes in fields such as IT, car mechanics and electrical installation. These programmes will be adapted to the demands of the labour market and carried out in cooperation with the private sector.
GIZ will work to boost institutional capacity, support the training of managers, teachers and trainers and ensure SLGTI continues to operate effectively. KfW Development Bank is responsible for building the vocational training institute and for supplying equipment, machines and teaching materials.
The programme has already begun developing and implementing demand-oriented vocational training programmes leading to higher-level qualifications. Initial measures are now being carried out to prepare young people in the region ahead of the institute’s completion.
To ensure that the new institute receives sufficient applications from qualified candidates, several vocational training institutions, known as satellite centres, have been selected for support. The programme assists these institutions in expanding their training courses to provide young people with the level of qualification required for admission to the SLGTI. In addition, the institute will require access to an adequate number of qualified trainers by 2015, when it begins providing training.
The programme has also initiated cooperation with several vocational training institutions in the five districts of the Northern Province to ensure the SLGTI can rely on a steady supply of suitable apprentices from the region. In addition to the national Vocational Training Authority (VTA), the project works with the Organization for Rehabilitation of the Handicapped (ORHAN) and the Don Bosco Mission, who have particularly extensive experience of working with young people in the region.
The partners receive support in integrating content such as entrepreneurship, English and IT skills into all apprenticeship programmes in line with current market demands. All courses involve training in the workplace to ensure that the apprentices gain practical knowledge and experience, which will help them secure their first job.
Through Swiss co-financing it is envisaged that the satellite centre concept will be expanded to the Eastern Province.
Results achieved so far
The first new vocational training institution for apprentices was opened in June 2012. The National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA), a partner in implementing the project, has financed the construction of the building. GIZ has provided the necessary equipment and teaching materials.
About 40 apprentices have attended the first training courses in automotive technology and electronics. Currently, 112 apprentices are attending automotive, electrical engineering, electronics and ICT courses. English and IT courses are mandatory for all apprentices. The broad scope of the training increases graduates’ employment or self-employment prospects.
The sports and cultural event Young and Diverse, held in Kilinochchi in 2012 and in Mullaitivu in 2013, brought together young people from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds and from various regions of Sri Lanka. The event featured sporting competitions carried out in a spirit of fairness. The aim was to provide an opportunity for the several hundred participants attending each event to make new contacts and develop mutual trust and understanding. They were also able to find out more about career pathways available through vocational training.
A study trip took place in 2012 and 2013 under the banner ‘The North Meets the South’. Apprentices from the north were given the opportunity of exchanging views with Singhalese and Muslim apprentices in Colombo. The trip also enabled participants to get to know private sector training providers and companies and thus potential employers.
Further information
Local project website