Sri Lanka opens technical and vocational education facility funded by South Korea
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Skills Development and Vocational Training has opened a technical and vocational education facility in the country’s commercial capital, Colombo, built with South Korean funds.
The facility is expected to produce 1,000 qualified youth with the skills to work in hi-technology sectors in two years.
The Ministry has reportedly stated that the Korea-Sri Lanka National Vocational Training Institute (KSLNVTI) in Orugodawatte provides new technology training that will help fill growing skills shortages across a range of industries.
A statement issued by the Ministry states that the facility becomes the only institution in Sri Lanka providing training on automation and robotics technology, pneumatic and hydraulic systems and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) programming used to control machine tools.
The KSLNVTI has been completed at a cost of US$ 17 million in the first of a two stage US$ 26 million project which will also upgrade the Gampaha Technical College.
Funding for the project came as a loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea, with additional support from Korea International Cooperation Agency and the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea.
“We all know the strong relationship between vocational training, skills development and labour productivity of any country,” Sri Lanka’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, Skills Development and Vocational Training Rishad Bathiudeen has said.
Sri Lanka’s service exports have been growing and diversifying with ICT/BPM, electronics, construction, engineering, printing and packaging, health and education being the key service exports.
“Of all these, three service exports – ICT/BPM, electronics, printing and packaging services – alone contributes to around US$ 1.3 billion in export revenues every year,” the Minister has added.
OSL take:
The higher education sector in Sri Lanka is fast becoming a hotbed for foreign investments given the potential for the development in the sector. Sri Lankan authorities are paying special attention to the development of technical and vocational education in the country. There have also been many foreign universities that have opened up affiliate colleges in Sri Lanka targeting local as well as regional student population. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore explore business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s higher education sector.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/22082019/Z_8 |