Second batch of women trained for construction sector jobs

In a bid to strengthen the capacities of young women from across the country, a second batch of 40 women will be trained under the aegis of Women in Construction (WIC) Forum– Sri Lanka.

“They will be trained in July to be skilled workers in many jobs in this sector,” Prof. Chitra Wedikkara, President WIC Forum-Sri Lanka told the Business Times. She added that last year they trained 39 women and that programme was highly successful.

She said that this programme has discouraged these women from leaving to West Asia to become domestic workers, as they have options here, now.

She added that in the first batch the women were from Kolonnawa, Kandana and Panadura areas. “They are employed now with big name construction firms. Some women painters are working on their own as painters.”

She said that WIC-Sri Lanka hopes to train painters, plumbers and aluminium technicians within this year. "It'll be one month of theory, a month of practical and another month of on-thejob training.”

This forum formed two years ago came alive on an idea by Prof. Wedikkara in order to network and discuss issues relating to the women in construction in Sri Lanka. WIC ForumSri Lanka comprises leading women in architecture, quantity surveying and civil engineering in the construction sector.

“The main objective is to provide with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training, public service and more for the women involved in the field from skilled to unskilled," she said.

The uniqueness of establishing such a forum is to help all women across the board to be trained, find suitable employment accordingly and be useful citizens as well as give them dignity and uplift quality of life for their families as well, she added.