Singapore to help develop Sri Lanka’s vocational training system

Friday, 18 January 2013 00:47 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Singapore has offered to help Sri Lanka develop its vocational training system in key sectors identified as national priorities for development. Singapore’s Temasek Foundation and Republic Polytechnic have partnered with the Vocational Training Authority of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development to help Sri Lanka develop technical and vocational education expertise in hospitality, infocomm and construction.

The Vocational Training Authority and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Republic Polytechnic International to collaborate in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) between the two nations over the next three years, Temasek Foundation said in a statement.

As part of the MOU, a two-year program will educate 60 vocational lead trainers to apply Republic Polytechnic’s Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method in the context of TVET education.

With the support of Republic Polytechnic’s trainers, the initial 60 lead trainers will train another 120 to multiply the benefits of the program.

Temasek Foundation has committed a grant of about S$433,000 towards this capability-building program that will assist the Sri Lankan trainers to develop sustainable and adaptable PBL training programs.

This will enable and strengthen continued growth and development in the country’s hospitality, infocomm and construction sectors, the Foundation said.

This is the third TVET training program that Temasek Foundation is supporting in Sri Lanka. The first focused on TVET training in mechatronics and electronics at the diploma and degree levels, while the second targeted TVET pedagogy training.

Chairman of the Vocational Training of Authority Col. Darshana Ratnayake has said that Modern and more effective training methods used by the Republic Polytechnic will help to contribute to the economy of Sri Lanka by producing a competent workforce.

Temasek Foundation CEO Benedict Cheong has said that the new program will add a new perspective to the TVET framework and system in Sri Lanka.