Sixth India-funded Vocational Training Centre inaugurated in Nuwara Eliya

India’s High Commissioner in Colombo Ashok K. Kantha inaugurated a Vocational Training Centre set up with Indian grant assistance at Helboda in the Nuwara Eliya district on 2 April.

The Vocational Training Centre set up with the support of the Government of India would help students from the Central Province and adjoining areas to pursue training and build a career in vocational trade.

At the event, the High Commissioner, along with the Minister for Youth Affairs and Skills Development Dullas Alahapperuma, handed over advanced technology equipment, vehicles and books worth Rs. 65 million to the centre.

In his remarks, the High Commissioner said that this is the sixth Vocational Training Centre established under a project implemented by India to set up such centres in various parts of Sri Lanka with grant assistance to help students gain professional knowledge leading to gainful employment and self-entrepreneurship.

India had earlier supported setting up of centres in Hatton, Puttalam, Vantharamullai and Onthachimadam as well.

Alahapperuma expressed the gratitude of the Sri Lankan government to India for providing valuable assistance for the vocational training sector and added that the government looked forward to receiving further assistance and support in the future. The centre at Helboda has been set up under the Memorandum of Understanding for setting up the centre in Nuwara Eliya with Indian grant assistance of Rs. 215 million, signed with the Government of Sri Lanka in July 2011. The Implementing Agency for the Project is Hindustan Machine Tools.

The High Commissioner’s visit to the Central Province helped review the progress of Indian-assisted projects in the Province and in exploring opportunities to further develop economic, cultural and people-to-people links between India and the Central Province of Sri Lanka, the High Commission said in a statement.

The Government of India has been implementing a variety of multi-sectoral projects in Sri Lanka based on the needs and priorities identified by the people of Sri Lanka.