Aug 21, 2019 (LBO) – Backed by the global industrial giant South Korea, Sri Lanka launched its most modern national hi-tech training facility to-date on Wednesday.
As it unveiled its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facility in a Colombo suburb, Sri Lanka also said that its skills development work has shown results so much so the country retained its ranking in the firmly established global benchmark for talent competitiveness for the third year running.
“This facility brings new tech training to the participants.
” announced the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe launching the Korea-Sri Lanka National Vocational Training Institute (KSLNVTI) in Orugodawatte, a suburb of Colombo.
Coming under Minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s Vocational Training Ministry, KSLNVTI has been completed at a cost of US$ 17 Mn as the first phase of a two-stage US $26 Mn project to establish KSLNVTI and upgrade Gampaha Technical College (GTC).
The upgraded GTC under Minister Bathiudeen’s VTA is also to be vested with the public in the last week of this month.
Funding for the project has come as a loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea, with additional support from KOICA and the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea.
KSLNVTI becomes the only institution in Sri Lanka providing training at present on three latest global hi-tech-automation and robotics tech, pneumatic and hydraulics, and CNC programming –that too, up to Diploma level 5.
They and other courses are taught at KSLNVTI by 15 Sri Lankan trainers who were coached by 10 Korean experts who already completed their roles and left (except for the present resident trainer).
Joining the event were State Minister Buddhika Pathirana, Ministry Secretary KDN Ranjith Ashoka, Deputy Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training Karunarathne Paranavithana, and Chairman of VTA Ravi Jayawardhana.
“We need to know about our challenges. We should advance from upper middle income to high-income country.
Korea has not only given money for this institution but technical skills as well.
We thank Korea for all this support” added Premier Wickremesinghe.
Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to Sri Lanka Heon Lee said of the importance of human resources.
“Nothing is more important than human resources,” he said.
“Ten years from now, students of KSLNVTI will lead Sri Lanka’s transformation. Congratulations to PM Wickremesinghe and other Sri Lankans here for achieving this KSLNVTI.
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Global Talent Competitiveness Index is the firmly established global benchmark for talent competitiveness and the future of work.
Newly set up KSLNVTI is expected to sign an MoU with Korea’s Shinhan University in time to come.
Sri Lanka’s KSLNVTI after two years from now is expected to produce 1000 qualified Sri Lankan youth annually for latest hi-tech industries.