Annual Report 2008 - Ministry of Finance and Planning

2. Fiscal Developments - 2008
99
Box 2.5
Investing in Skills Development to Meet the Emerging Demands in the Industry Contd.
The first ever University of Vocational Technology in
Sri Lanka was established in 2008 by the University of
Vocational Technology Act No 31 of 2008 to offer higher
educational opportunities up to graduate level for students
and teachers in various technical fields. In order to attract
more trainees for vocational training sector, “Nipunatha
Arunella” Programme was implemented at school level
and in rural areas. Meanwhile, the quality of the training
has improved with the introduction of National Vocational
Qualifications (NVQ) system along with internationally
recognized training standards and quality assurance. This
has opened avenues to trainees in the sector to pursue their
training upto the graduate level.
conduct level 5 and 6 courses in NVQ to offer diploma and
higher diploma level courses. Further, 176 private sector
training institutions have been registered with the Tertiary
and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) to conduct
training programmes in line with the NVQ system. The TVEC
has offered 5,407 NVQ certificates for trainees in 2008.
Preliminary action has been taken to commence courses
under National Vocational Qualifications Systems in the
proposed Colleges of Technology in Kurunegala, Kandy,
Ratnapura, Badulla, Ampara, and Jaffna. Further, new
buildings were constructed for Technical Colleges at
Weerawila, Vavuniya, Akkaraipattu, Matale and Beliatte
under the Mahinda Chinthana Programme.
University of Vocational Technology in Sri Lanka
The National Vocational Training Centre at Niyagama was
upgraded as a centre of excellence while upgrading Jaffna
and Maradana Technical Colleges as colleges of Technology
(COT) with the assistance of foreign donors (JICA, KOIKA).
In addition, priority has also been given to upgrade the
vocational training centers located in the Eastern Province,
which had been damaged by terrorist activities. In addition
112 instructors were recruited to these institutions in 2008.
Twenty new training centres were also established in this
province with foreign assistance and issued 380 National
Vocational Qualification Certificates.
Meanwhile, 8 Technical Colleges have been upgraded
to the level of COTs in 2008 with the assistance of Asian
Development Bank and German Government. These colleges
Ministry of Finance and Planning Sri Lanka
Annual Report 2008