News
OPA laments graduates of passing out without required skills demanded by job market
The Organization of Professional Associations says that every year around 60,000 graduates without employable skills join the growing number of unemployed persons.Addressing a press conference at the OPA headquarters in Colombo last week, OPA President Dulitha Perera said the country’s unemployment rate increased to 5.70 percent in March 2021, from the previously reported 5.20 percent in Dec 2020.
Sri Lanka Unemployment Rate is updated quarterly, available from Jun 2012 to Mar 2021, with an average rate of 4.50 %. Currently around 100,000 join the unemployed number annually. They are composed of around 300,000 youth passing out of schools after A/L examination and 30,000 graduates passing out from state universities. In addition there are about 5,000 graduates passing out from private and international universities, technically qualified diplomats and other qualifications, tertiary and vocational training institutions join the unemployed lot annually.Perera predicted that these numbers may increase during next two to three years due to the advancement of technology.
Past OPA President, Dr. Lalith Wijetunge said the latest statistics from the Department of Census and Statistics reveal that the country’s unemployed population rose by 100,000 during the first quarter of 2020, coinciding with the start of the lockdowns. It also indicates more job losses in the coming months, while those who are unemployed will be desperate to find new jobs to survive in this time of uncertainty.
Dr. Wijetunge said that majority of graduates do not have adequate skills as the industry expected. “There is no generally accepted definition of graduate employability. Researchers have critically reviewed the graduates’ unemployment in Sri Lanka. There are skills mismatch, education mismatch. The lack of coordination and cooperation among the various stakeholders of universities become a root cause for unemployment of graduates,” he said.
Dr. Wijetunge said that unemployment rate among the Sri Lankan graduates passing out from the state Universities is high, compared to other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The average overall employability ratio of Universities in Sri Lanka is 54 percent. The Faculties of Arts and Management have higher rates of unemployment in the country and accounted for 76% and 36% of unemployed graduates respectively, whereas Medicine and Engineering accounted for 10% and 7% respectively in 2012.
“These statistics clearly indicates the waste of time and energy of the educated youths as well as the skilled youths. The rulers should take immediate action to solve the crisis. Now the private sector organizations have expressed their willingness to help solve this issue by providing jobs on a part time basis for a considerable portion of the unemployed youth. That solution has no burden on Government, employer or the employee. Many other countries have used this solution. It would suit Lanka only if the Government can administer the solution in a proper way,” he said.
The National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC), which is being established under the Presidential Secretariat with the aim of removing administrative and regulatory barriers that exist among government institutions in relation to investment and industry and expediting these processes, will be opened tomorrow (22).
The centre is being established on the President’s initiative with the aim of bringing about a positive transformation in the industrial sector. The centre will provide solutions to issues that arise in dealing with the government machinery when starting and operating a business, while also coordinating with the relevant government institutions to provide the necessary facilities.
The “ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) has been established at Building C-80, Hector Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Colombo 07, and is headed by Senior Additional( Secretary to the President, Seevali Arukgoda.
The centre will be opened under the patronage of Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando and Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, with the participation of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The website https://nbfc.presidentsoffice.gov.lk is also scheduled to be officially launched on the occasion.
President’s Media Division)
Latest News
Court of Appeal Judge M. Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea appointed as Acting President of the Court of Appeal
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Judge Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat this morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
(President’s Media Division)
Latest News
President instructs expediting further measures concerning Sivarasa Anojan, sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia
A discussion to review the further measures that could be taken regarding Sivarasa Anojan, a young Sri Lankan national who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, was held at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (21), under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The discussion focused on the measures taken to date concerning Sivaraasa Anojan and the further diplomatic and legal steps that could be pursued. Attention was also given to expediting the necessary further measures that could be taken to secure his release.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed officials to continue the necessary diplomatic engagement with the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia and to maintain close and continuous involvement in all further measures concerning the case.
Reaffirming the Government’s continued attention to the safety and welfare of Sri Lankans living and working overseas, the President also stressed the need for the relevant ministries and institutions to work in close coordination and pursue all possible measures that could be taken in connection with the case.
Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, Governor of the Western Province Hanif Yusoof, Secretary – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism were also present at the discussion.
(President’s Media Division)
“ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) to be opened tomorrow (22)
Court of Appeal Judge M. Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea appointed as Acting President of the Court of Appeal
President instructs expediting further measures concerning Sivarasa Anojan, sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia
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