Public Employment Services Centre in Batticaloa inaugurated by EU Ambassador

The third of four Public Employment Services (PES) Centres being launched under the EU Support for District Development Program (EU-SDDP) was ceremonially declared open at Arasady, Batticaloa by Ambassador of European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives David Daly, on 3 December. Present on the occasion were Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations Gotabaya Jayaratne, Country Director of the ILO Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Donglin Li, District Secretary P.S.M. Charles and Director General of the Department of Manpower and Employment H.G.G.J. Dharmasena.

As part of its interventions under the EU-SDDP to reduce youth unemployment in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar, Batticaloa, and Ampara, ILO supports the establishment of four district PES centres. Two centres have already opened in Vavuniya and Mannar and Batticaloa becomes the third. The Centre was refurbished, fully furnished and equipped by ILO with the funds provided by the European Union under EU-SDDP.

Charles, Batticaloa’s District Secretary welcomed all invitees and expressed her appreciation of the EU and ILO for establishing this first PES Centre in the East in Batticaloa. She stated that there were about 100,000 unemployed youth in the district and commended the timely action taken in setting up what had become a serious issue for district development. 

Director General of the Department of Manpower and Employment H.G.G.J. Dharmasena said that his Department has planned to expand the network of PES centres island-wide and that this program would be strengthened through donor and consolidated funds for the benefit of youth in the districts. He disclosed that a National Public Employment Services Centre is to be opened in Colombo within the month with the support of ILO. He thanked ILO for collaborating with the Department in achieving its objective of developing a world-class workforce in Sri Lanka. He emphasised that all the services provided by the PES Centres are free of charge.  

In his address, Donglin Li stressed that the main development issue globally is the unemployment of youth. He said that ILO through its projects in the North and East of Sri Lanka addresses this issue by strengthening the cooperative movements to create more employment opportunities. Under the EU-SDDP, ILO supports market-oriented training courses to enhance employable skills for the youth as well as the expansion of employment services within the districts to match job-seekers to labour market demands. He confirmed that ILO would continue its support to establish an active labour market information system in the country to promote youth employment.

Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations Gotabaya Jayaratne spoke of the Ministry’s long term plan to resolve unemployment and emphasised the key role the Ministry plays in the implementation of the National Human Resources and Employment Policy and the Government’s pledge to deliver ‘One Million Jobs in 5 years’. He assured that the Ministry would extend its full support to the Department of Manpower and Employment to make employment services accessible to the general public. He thanked the Ambassador of the EU and the District Secretary for Batticaloa for their support to make this Centre a reality and the ILO for providing technical support for its establishment.

The District PES Centre launched its services on that day with the EU Ambassador handing over appointment letters to 10 female job-seekers at the Brandix Garments factory.

The PES Centres act as a ‘one stop service centre’ for youth to obtain labour market information and career guidance. 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.