A.Y.S. Gnanam Construction Training Academy inducts certified professionals to lead nation building

The seventh certificate awarding ceremony of the A.Y.S. Gnanam Construction Training Academy was held recently in Dambulla. The prestigious event saw the awarding of internationally and locally recognised NVQ certificates to 107 apprentices, comprising of 56 SL Army personnel, 38 skilled masons with prior experience and 13 novices entering the profession afresh.

Tokyo Cement Group Board of Directors Member Ravi Dias, as the chief guest of the event was joined by, Sri Lanka Army Non Commissioned Officers Training School (NCOTS) Commandant Colonel Kamal Pinnawala, Sri Lanka Army NCOTS Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Nalin Hettiarachchi, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka Director General Anura Dissanayake, National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) Chairman Deshamanya Sunil P. Liyanarachchi, National Apprentices and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) Coordinating Officer Jayathissa Banda and representatives from the Tokyo Cement Group.

Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC Consultant Engineer Mouly Gunaratna addressing the gathering highlighted the far-reaching impact of the Training Academy since its inception in 2012. Established in memory of the Founder Chairman of Tokyo Cement Company, the late Deshamanya A.Y.S. Gnanam, the academy offers residential training programs for both craftsmen already engaged in masonry as well as for school leavers, grooming them for the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 certificate. The certificate avails the trainees to local as well as international employment, opening up greater income opportunities. Hailed as one of Tokyo Cement Group’s foremost citizenship initiatives, the Training Academy, dedicated to masons and other construction professionals from all corners of the country, was set up in a bid to uplift the standards of the industry.

The academy situated in Dambulla, comprises a fully-fledged auditorium, modern laboratory complex and practical training facilities inclusive of all tools and raw material required to conduct comprehensive training sessions that produce a well-rounded masonry professional. It also includes a dormitory complex that can accommodate 50 students, providing a conducive learning environment under the guidance of a qualified panel of instructors and visiting lecturers, to attain their formal training free of charge.

The seventh batch that passed out of the institute included 56 military personnel attached to various regiments of the SL Army. Having dedicated their lives in the battle front, these military personnel have now come forward to serve the country’s mission to rebuild, by arming themselves with a recognised qualification. Speaking at the occasion, Colonel Kamal Pinnawala, Commandant of the Non Commissioned Officers Training School of the Sri Lanka Army emphasised how the certification will further enhance the skills of the army personnel and give them yet another opportunity to rise to the call for nation building.

He added that the formal training and the professional accreditation gained at academy by the military personnel will enable them to boost their careers and uplift their social status, even after retiring from duty and open up a range of new avenues to add value to the priceless service they offered their motherland.

Deshamanya Sunil P. Liyanarachchi, Chairman of National Construction Association (NCASL) of Sri Lanka, while expressing his felicitations to the certificate recipients mentioned that his association is in receipt of many job openings for certified masonry professionals from countries such as South Korea, Japan and the Middle East. He pointed out that the country stands to lose a significant amount of income from foreign employment due to our inability to fulfil the need for certified construction professionals. He further stated that he is fully confident that the trainees who passed out from the A.Y.S. Gnanam Construction Training Academy will be able to find good employment opportunities locally as well as internationally.

Guided by the late Deshamanya A.Y.S. Gnanam’s vision, the Training Academy since its inception has produced over 700 trained construction craftsmen and accredited masonry professionals, many of whom are instrumental in reshaping the country’s infrastructural landscape while others bring in valuable foreign exchange from around the world through skilled employment.

Tokyo Cement has earned its reputation in Sri Lanka’s construction industry as the most trusted supplier of high quality cement and concrete. Delivering superior products for projects that mark Sri Lanka’s growth, the company has cemented its legacy as a partner in nation building and is committed to raise the bar on quality and fortify its market position as a trailblazer. As the country sets forward with a wave of massive infrastructure development projects, skilled and most importantly certified construction craftsmen with a formal training, will remain one of the key deciding factors of the pace at which these projects are undertaken and executed. Having identified this requirement way ahead of its time, the A.Y.S. Gnanam Construction Training Academy has successfully achieved its mission to produce skilled and qualified professionals who are active participants in nation building.