Sri Lanka’s private sector wants local grads

Sri Lanka’s private sector is currently looking at attracting increasing numbers of graduates from local universities and urging them to consider employment in non-state institutions.

The John Keells Group has financially assisted 49 students qualifying to enter local universities aimed at encouraging more graduates to consider employment in the private sector, a media release issued by the group stated.

Due to the fierce competition among students to enter universi- ties and the drop outs from these institutions due to the financial constraints the organization has assisted to date 49 students with scholarships, since 1991, with 17 recipients continuing to receive such assistance.

These students are the children of the group’s employees who are permanent, non-executive staff members with more than five years, the release explained.

The period of financial support varies from three to five years depending on the duration of each degree programme and the group supports on average about 14 students every year, it was stated.

A monthly grant is provided to the students from the date they commence their university education and would continue based on the undergraduates merit and conduct, irrespective of the parent’s future employment period with the group, the release added.

John Keells Holdings (JKH) Chairman Susantha Ratnayake on May 8, presented certificates to the five students selected for scholarships for the academic year 2011/2012. These undergrad- uate students were those enrolled in degree programmess at the University of Kelaniya in the Arts and Commerce streams, the University of Sri Jayawardenepura in the Physical Science stream, the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the University of Visual and Performing Arts in Dance and Drama.

The undergraduate from the University of Performing Arts speaking on behalf of the five scholarship holders for 2011/2012, said the financial backing provided under this scholarship scheme ensures that students are able to gain increased access to external knowledge-based resources amidst the tough competition among themselves to stand out, the release quoted.

JKH also works together with local universities to conduct soft skills workshops, branded “The Final Step” to enhance the employability of local graduates by providing them a realistic perspective of employment opportunities in Sri Lanka and preparing them for the demands of the private sector, the release said.

In addition, the release explained that this workshop would cover a wide range of topics including “Employer Expectations”, “Team Building and Leadership Skills”, “Adapting to the Corporate Environment”, “Personality Development and Confidence Building”, “Personal Grooming” and “Corporate Hospitality”. “The Final Step” was conducted for the eighth consecutive time, at the University of Jaffna in March 2013.