ILO, EU partner to boost prospects for Mannar youth

• District Public Employment Services Centre set up to resolve youth unemployment under European Union Support to District Development Program

Willem Verpoest, First Counsellor of the European Union Delegation to Sri Lanka addressing the job seekers at the career guidance session in Mannar

The District PES Centre of Mannar District being declared open by Willem Verpoest, First Counsellor of the European Union Delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, H.G.G.J. Dharmasena, Director General, Department of Manpower and Employment and M.Y.S. Deshapriya, District Secretary, Mannar

In a bid to address the grave issue of youth unemployment in the Mannar district, the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the Mannar District Secretariat and the Department of Manpower and Employment established the District Public Employment Services (PES) Centre of Mannar District. 

The centre was declared open recently by Willem Verpoest, First Counsellor of the European Union Delegation for Sri Lanka and Maldives, H. G. G. J. Dharmasena, Director General, Department of Manpower and Employment, Mannar District and Mr. Deshapriya, District Secretary, Mannar. 

The PES Centre which acts as a “one stop service centre” for youth to obtain labour market information and career guidance was made possible with the funding provided through the European Union Support to District Development Program (EU-SDDP). 

The EU-SDDP with a total financial envelope of EUR 60 million aims at supporting the Government of Sri Lanka’s thrust for economic and social development in seven conflict-affected districts covering half a million people.

Deshapriya, District Secretary, Mannar, in his welcome address expressed his appreciation for the establishment of the PES Centre in Mannar since finding employment within the district had become a major challenge for the youth. He also highlighted that establishing a PES Centre in the District Secretariat is an important move towards the new Government’s “one million jobs in five years” program.

Speaking on the occasion, Dharmasena, DG, Department of Manpower and Employment stated that there is a need to prepare youth for private sector employment. He mentioned that job fairs conducted by the Department have revealed that job seekers lack the technical skills required for employment. 

Elaborating on this issue, Dharmasena stressed that the PES Centre will play a major role in developing the technical skills of the job seekers. He added that the Department is planning to register all the unemployed nationally, and District PES Centres could effectively support this process. 

The Chief Guest at the event, Willem Verpoest said that the EU-SDDP is the most important project funded by the EU in Sri Lanka. He pointed out that ILO’s Skills for Local Economic Development plays a key role within the EU-SDDP framework project since it leads to the provision of employment for youth. Verpoest mentioned that he is happy to be a part of the opening of the PES Centre in Mannar and that the EU is currently satisfied with the progress of the EU-SDDP. 

The PES Centre launched its services by conducting a career guidance session for 25 job seekers at the District Secretariat. The PES centre serves the requirements of job seekers, employers, decision makers, and vocational training providers. 

The ILO is supporting the establishment of four district PES centres in the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa, Mannar and Vavuniya to help resolve youth unemployment. Under the EU-SDDP, the ILO is working to enable young men and women have greater access to relevant skills and quality training, labour market information, career guidance and employment services.