- Today is World Youth Skills Day
Skill development is a key factor in our continued employability, and efforts are constantly being made in the country as well as globally to help people gain competence in various fields and then improve upon these skills, in order to adapt to the changes in the world. This applies to the youth in particular, which is why commemorative days like World Youth Skills Day are of utmost importance.
In 2014, the UN declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day. This was done to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. “World Youth Skills Day 2022 takes place amid concerted efforts towards socio-economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic that are interconnected with challenges such as climate change, conflict, persisting poverty, rising inequality, rapid technological change, demographic transition, and others,” the UN states.
In Sri Lanka, World Youth Skills Day is commemorated this year amidst political instability and an economic crisis. As such, no special in-person events will take place today, Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission Deputy Director General Dr. J.A.D.J. Jayalath said, during a media briefing held on 12 July.
Instead, local and foreign specialists will hold several webinars for knowledge sharing in the region until 18 July. Dr. Jayalath added that they are unable to hold a skills competition like previous years, due to the situation in the country, but plan on holding such events in future.
History and importance
Providing some background to World Youth Skills Day, Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission Director General Dr. K. A. Lalithadheera said the day is of significance to Sri Lanka.
“This is because the recommendations presented by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission were presented to the UN General Assembly, which adopted it, resulting in the declaration of this commemorative day.”
He added that, prior to the adoption of these proposals, efforts were made under several phases to come to an agreement with 164 countries. Sri Lanka was also the first country to celebrate this day in 2015.
According to Dr. Lalithadheera, there are a few reasons why 15 July was chosen as World Youth Skills Day. The technical stream was introduced to the Advanced Level curriculum on 15 July and the first graduation ceremony of the level seven, or degree level, of vocational training was presented by the technical college in Ratmalana on 15 July.
Why declare a World Youth Skills Day is a question that many can raise and Dr. Lalithadheera said: “The reason this day is important to the youth as well as all age groups is because, in our country and also globally, youth unemployment is high. Data shows this to be 15% globally, but in Sri Lanka, youth unemployment is 24%, making it a serious issue in the country.”
Why do we need skill development?
According to Dr. Lalithadheera, the lack of skills is the main reason for unemployment. “In Sri Lanka, the unskilled workforce is 25% of the total labour force. When the unskilled workforce increases, it is a huge issue to a country, affecting production, dependency rate, and so on.”
The country thus aims at reducing the unskilled workforce to 10% by 2030, which is done by increasing competence and raising awareness through international days such as these.
He also highlighted the importance of lifelong education, where skill development isn’t limited to a certain period, and instead allows for reskilling and upskilling. Dr. Lalithadheera added: “Education can continue even after retirement, which is a global concept, but in Sri Lanka, this isn’t given much importance.”
Sharing more on this topic was National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority Director of Training G.H. Nilantha de Silva, who said the development of skills or competence can be done through training centres, employment, or a combination of the two.
“Since 1971, with the establishment of the National Apprentice Board to the overall technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector today, our main training method is industrial training,” de Silva said, adding that apprenticeships give the student the opportunity to work while learning and developing skills.
He added: “The person who follows an industrial apprenticeship is close to employment, constantly develops skills necessary for employment, and acquires qualities required by the job.”
Opportunities in Sri Lanka
Vocational Training Authority of Sri Lanka (VTA) Director General Chulangani Perera said that over 100 programmes are offered through the four main State vocational training institutes in the TVET sector – the VTA, German Technical College, National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, and Industrial Education and Training Institute. In addition to this, there are other institutions as well.
“The national requirements as well as global requirements are constantly changing, so we must also update to suit these changes. As a State institution, we cannot do this alone, and we do it in collaboration with the private sector,” Perera said.
Citing examples like the hospitality and apparel sectors, Perera explained that the curriculum is updated to suit industry requirements, as well as job opportunities in other countries, which applies to nursing and elder care, for instance. These programmes also include language proficiency.
“The construction sector is one there is great difficulty in getting the youth into but there is a huge demand for this sector locally and globally. We have implemented various measures in this regard,” she said, adding that partnerships with local private construction companies are formed to encourage youth.
However, Dr. Lalithadheera shed light on a key issue students face when gaining necessary training and qualifications for employment. “There are even today unregistered institutions carrying out diploma programmes in the country. Some of these are for a duration of just two to three months. However, these do not have the right diploma standards and these students come to us to endorse their qualifications.”
He explained that all students are registered in their system, making it easy to access information on the programmes and centres the students are attached to. However, if it is revealed that the course followed by the student isn’t registered with the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission, they are unable to certify the student’s qualifications. This makes it difficult for the students to pursue employment opportunities, especially overseas.
Dr. Lalithadheera added that the registered centres and programmes can be accessed on their website.
Regional collaborations
Highlighting the standard of vocational training in Sri Lanka, Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission Deputy Director General Dr. J.A.D.J. Jayalath said many countries in the region have observed how the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system has been adapted in Sri Lanka, and there are various resources that have been shared with these countries, to take not only the country forward, but also the region forward in vocational training.
“With the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), we launched the South Asian Qualification Referencing Framework, and are looking at how this can be enacted in countries, especially South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) countries. This programme will be continued and the process of adapting the Sri lanka Qualification Framework (SLQF) and the National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF) to the region has already begun,” Dr. Jayalath said.
In addition to this, steps were taken to inform all Sri Lankan embassies of integrating the local NVQ framework with those of their respective countries and around 30 countries have responded to this. Dr. Jayalath said that discussions are being carried out with 15 countries, with agreements are being formed with five countries to provide employment opportunities for Sri Lankan NVQ students overseas.
