British Council Sri Lanka    

Skills Summit       

Developing a skilled workforce for the future   

Sector Based Skills Development in Sri Lanka    

A policy dialogue and skills summit    

26-27 November 2009 - Colombo   

British Council has been engaged in the current development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Sri Lanka by developing education partnerships between further education colleges in the UK and TVET institutes in Sri Lanka in three sectors (i.e. Hospitality and Tourism, Fashion and Design and Television and Media) mainly focusing on curriculum development, staff development and student exchanges as well as development of NVQs for the above sectors in Sri Lanka.

These sectors and institutional level requirements were identified at a policy dialogue held in Colombo in January 2008 organised by the British Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training (MVTT).

There has been significant capacity and infrastructure development in the TVET sector in Sri Lanka through government and foreign aided projects initiated by the MVTT over the past decade (Please visit www.nipunatha.gov.lk for more information).

However these developments have taken place on a general basis across many sectors focusing on overall policy, capacity and infrastructure development.

The need though is for sector-based competency (skills) standards and skills specifications developed together by the training providers and industry in order to match the current and future skills demand both locally as well as globally.

THE CHALLENGE
Currently all competency standards are developed by the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA). The ongoing Technical Education Development Project (TEDP) has proposed Sector Policy and Training Advisory Councils (SPTAC) under the governance of Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) to validate curricula developed for technician level programmes and internationally and locally developed competency standards in selected technology and craft programmes.

In the UK, Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) represent a new form of collaboration and interface between government and education institutions; and industry and the workforce ( www.sscalliance.org).

Against this background we are planning to organise a policy dialogue which will result in the formulation of policies to support the sector-based approach and plan for the development of appropriate bodies to adopt the function of ‘Sector Skills Councils’ in Sri Lanka through sustainable partnerships with UK SSCs.

OBJECTIVES

Introduce the UK’s system of Sector Skills Councils to Sri Lanka   
Explore opportunities of appropriately using the above system in Sri Lanka aligned with current and proposed systems   
Identify national and institutional level policy implications for developing the above system and address them appropriately during 2009-10   
Develop partnerships between SSCs in the UK and their counterparts in Sri Lanka   

POLICY DIALOGUE PROGRAMME
Thursday 26 November

0830 - 0900    Registration   
0900 - 0910    Welcome Address: Gill Westaway,
Country Director, British Council Sri Lanka
   
0910 - 0920    Conference Challenge:
Mrs Chandrani Senaratna, Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training Sri Lanka
   
0920 - 0930    Keynote: Hon. P Radhakrishnan, Deputy Minister of
Vocational and Technical Training Sri Lanka
   
0930 - 1000    Plenary 1: The vision for Sri Lanka’s Tertiary and
Vocational Education
Dr. T A Piyasiri, Director General, Tertiary and
Vocational Education Commission Sri Lanka
   
1000 - 1015    Break   
1015 - 1045    Plenary 2: Why sectors matter and the experience
of the UK’s Sector Skills Councils
Tom Bewick, Chief Executive, Creative & Cultural
Skills, UK
   
1045 - 1115    Plenary 3: Developing workers for the changing
global workplace
Brian Wisdom, Chief Executive, People 1
st
(Sector Skills Council for hospitality, leisure,
travel and tourism)
   
1115 - 1145    Plenary 4: The skills challenge from industry
point of view
Chandra Lal de Alwis. Chairman, National
Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka
   
1145 - 1215   

A model for Sector Skills Councils in Sri Lanka:
from training providers’ point of view

Prof Dayantha Wijeyesekera, Chairman,
Standing Committee on Tertiary and
Technological Education of National Education
Commission Sri Lanka)

1215 - 1315    Lunch   
1315 - 1345    A model for Sector Skills Councils in Sri Lanka:
from industry point of view
SL industrialist (TBC)
   
1345 - 1415    Parallel session 1: How to create a suitable
governance mechanism for Sector Skills
Council in Sri Lanka (scope, remit and structure)
Chaired by Tom Bewick
   
Parallel session 2: How to engage different
stakeholders in realising sector based approach
in Sri Lanka (strategy for employer engagement)
Chaired by Brian Wisdom
   
1415 - 1500    Panel Discussion on collaborating above
session outcomes
   
1500 - 1515    Break   
1515 - 1600    Presentation of outcomes (working paper)   

REGISTRATION
The first day of the policy dialogue will be closed for invited participants.

The second day which is the Skills Summit will be open for registration:

SPONSORS
Sponsorship opportunities are available for UK and Sri Lankan education institutions as well as corporate organisations.

Premier sponsors
As premier sponsors you will receive the following benefits:

Keynote address   
Company logo to appear on all print and electronic media publications   
Placement of 2 nos. of banners at the conference venue   
Placement of 2 nos. of brochures in the conference package   
Company advertisement during introduction and breaks   
Stall at the conference venue   
Your contribution: Rs. 100,000/-    

*Conditions apply

Co-sponsors
As co-sponsors you will receive the following benefits:

Presentation at parallel sessions   
Company logo to appear on all print and electronic media publications   
Placement of 1 no. of banner at the conference venue   
Placement of 1 no. of brochure in the conference package   
Your contribution: Rs. 50,000/-    

*Conditions apply

CONTACT
For registration or more information please contact:

Eranda Ginige
Manager Education Partnerships

49, Alfred House Gardens
Colombo 3
Sri Lanka

T: +94 (0)11 4521521 (Ext 6333)
M: +94 (0)77 2519910
newideas@britishcouncil.org

DCSIMG

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