SriLankan Airlines welcomes its future leaders

SriLankan Airlines welcomed its future leaders by inducting 21 young men and women of the 2016 Management Trainee Batch to the National Carrier on Monday 20 June, chosen from among more than three thousand candidates in one of the most rigorous selection processes in the airline’s history.

SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajith Dias speaking at the ceremony at the airline’s premises in Katunayake, said: “SriLankan Airlines is a well-established company whose brand was recently voted amongst the top ten in Sri Lanka. Our new management trainees will have the opportunity to rise to lead the airline in the future. They are clearly very well accomplished to have passed this selection process, which is one that we feel should be adopted throughout other Government institutions.”

The 13 women and seven men successfully completed a multi-stage recruitment process spanning over three months which evaluated them through modern recruitment methodology, including interviews, written tests, combined with field exercises that assessed leadership qualities such as self-confidence, team role, situation awareness, decision making, creativity and communication.

SriLankan Airlines Director Colonel Sunil Peiris, who headed the recruitment project, said: “We now expect these management trainees to perform and demonstrate the best of their abilities. They are the future of this airline and we expect commitment, passion and loyalty from them.”

Minimum criteria for candidates included having a degree with a class from a recognized university, or a professional qualification. 

SriLankan Chief Executive Officer Captain Suren Ratwatte: “Life is a long journey, and these young men and women have begun one of the most important chapters in their lives.”

Head of Human Resources Pradeepa Kekulawala said: “We carried out a process that was aimed at selecting the very best, and that is what we have done, choosing a set of young people who will be molded into management positions of our airline.”

SriLankan’s Management Trainee Program is operational every three to four years to provide for the airline’s future in terms of future expansion, upward movements, retirements and resignations. The airline provides a wide range of disciplines and career paths ranging from marketing to flight operations, inflight service, aircraft engineering and maintenance, airport service, finance, cargo, corporate communications, security, and information technology.

Vimukthi Dissanayake, speaking on behalf of the Management Trainees, said: “We are proud to have been chosen and will never let SriLankan Airlines down. We are part of the SriLankan Family, and one never lets one’s family down.”

The new Management Trainees will now be given an extensive training program which is intended to familiarise them with all aspects of the air transport industry, and in their respective areas of specialisation. The program will also develop their leadership skills, soft skills, and more, and they will be supported by an extensive mentoring system, with their progress being frequently assessed by the chiefs.