Kelani Cables produces another batch of qualified electrical technicians

From left: Kelani Cables Plc General Manager Sales, Anil Munasinghe, General Manager Operations, Upul Mahanama, Chief Finance Officer Hemamala Karunasekera, CEO Mahinda Saranapala, Peradeniya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Athula Senaratne, Engineering faculty Prof. L. Rajapakse, Head of electrical and electronics section Prof. J.B. Ekanayake, Kelani Saviya Program Director Prof. Manjula Fernando

Peradeniya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Athula Senaratne hands over a certificate to a student. Kelani Cables Plc CEO Mahinda Saranapala looks on

Kelani Cables Plc, Sri Lanka’s number one brand in secure electrical and communication cables, has been conducting the CSR program Kelani Saviya, in association with the engineering faculty of Peradeniya University, since 2007. 

Kelani Cables Plc CEO Mahinda Saranapala and Peradeniya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Athula Senaratne attended an event held at the Clarion Hotel in Kelaniya recently to hand over certificates to the successful students of yet another batch of Kelani Saviya. 

The Kelani Saviya program seeks to groom skilled and qualified electrical technicians. 

Kelani Cables Plc CEO Mahinda Saranapala said that a large number of novices and students leaving school, who looked forward to self-employment, were drawn to the Kelani Saviya electrical technicians training program. He said that the CSR program had introduced over 250 talented and skilled youth to the country to date. 

“We are proud to announce that many of these youths are now employed in local and foreign companies and have financially stable lives,” said the CEO.

“We pay our gratitude to the engineering faculty of Peradeniya University for conducting this training program as a fully-fledged and productive one. Kelani Saviya is the only training program which offers internationally-recognised university certificates to successful candidates who have only GCE Ordinary Level education,” he added.  

The CEO further stated that Kelani Cables was determined to expand the Kelani Saviya service to encompass other regions of the country in order to brighten up the lives of the apprentices in those areas. 

“We extended the program to the North and East of the country under the brand name Kelani Shakthi last year with the first program being held at Jaffna University,” said Saranapala.

Peradeniya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Athula Senaratne said Kelani Saviya was a unique program so students should derive the maximum benefit from it. 

“Students who completed the program and obtained certificates today are a special breed in the education sector of this country. I would make a humble request to these certificate-holders. Peradeniya University is a forerunner in the education sector in this country. As far as technical knowledge, attire and socialising are concerned, people from this university stand tall amongst others. You too have the responsibility to carry this spirit forward,” said the Vice Chancellor. The event was also graced by Peradeniya University Engineering Faculty Head Prof. L. Rajapakse, Kelani Saviya Program Director Prof. Manjula Fernando, Kelani Cables Plc General Manager Sales Anil Munasinghe, Chief Finance Officer Hemamala Karunasekera, General Manager Operations Upul Mahanama, Human Resources Manager Gihan Widanage and Brand Development Manager Channa Jayasinghe.

The sixth batch of Kelani Saviya students who were awarded certificates were also spoken to by Kelani Cables General Manager Sales Anil Munasinghe. He said that in the past few years the need for electrical technicians in the country had increased. 

However, due to a lack of expertise amongst electrical technicians, this void had not been bridged successfully. Thus the certificate-holders of Kelani Saviya should constantly update themselves with world trends and specialise in the subject.

The brainchild of Prof. J.B. Ekanayake of Peradeniya University, Kelani Saviya was commissioned in 2007 following the signing of a MoU between Peradeniya University former Vice Chancellor Prof. S.B.S. Abeykoon and Kelani Cables former Managing Director Hemantha Perera.

According to the stipulated terms and conditions, the MOU was to end in 2012. However, a fruitful discussion between Kelani Cables Plc CEO Mahinda Saranapala and university authorities saw the program extended for a further five years until 2017. 

This is the first time that a local university has collaborated with a private sector entity to launch such a program. Kelani Cables Plc is a fully-Sri Lankan company which has been in operation for over four decades, manufacturing electrical and communication cables. The company achieved ‘Super Brands’ status in the electrical and telecommunication sector in 2008 for the success it demonstrated in the sector. 

In 2012, Kelani Cables Plc clinched the bronze award in the excellent business brand category at the SLIM Brand Excellence. It clinched gold at the SLIM Brand Excellence once again in 2013 for the same category. The company secured gold at the SLITAD People Development 2013 award ceremony for the contribution it made towards the training and development of the workforce plus maintaining their welfare.

Kelani Cables Plc has received ISO 9000:2008 for quality, ISO 14001:2004 for environment management, the national standards award and is the gold winner of the Taiki Akimoto 5S award.