John Keells Group expands university scholarship scheme

The John Keells Group places an emphasis on the importance of higher education among youth, with the aim of encouraging more local graduates to consider employment in the private sector. Whilst there is fierce competition to enter local universities, some of the selected students may refrain from commencing or may discontinue their university education due to financial constraints.

In 1991, the Group recognised this setback, and as affirmation of their encouragement, commenced a scholarship scheme for the children of staff members who qualify to enter universities. Since the inception of this scholarship scheme, 49 students have been granted scholarships, out of which, and as at date, 17 recipients continue to receive financial assistance. Children of all permanent, non-executive staff members who have been with the John Keells Group for more than five years, who are selected to local universities, are eligible for this scholarship.

The period of financial support varies from three years to five years depending on the duration of each degree programme and The Group supports on average about 14 students every year. A monthly grant is provided to the students from the date they commence their university education and will continue based on the undergraduate’s merit and conduct, irrespective of the parent’s future employment period with the Group.

On 8 May 2013, John Keells Holdings Chairman Susantha Ratnayake presented certificates to the five students selected for scholarships for the academic year 2011/2012. These undergraduate students were those enrolled in degree programs at the University of Kelaniya in the Arts and Commerce streams, the University of Sri Jayawardenepura in the Physical Science stream, the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the University of Visual and Performing Arts in Dance and Drama.

The undergraduate from the University of Performing Arts speaking on behalf of the five scholarship holders for 2011/2012, thanked the John Keells Group for continuing with the scholarship scheme throughout the years. He pointed out that given the fierce competition amongst students to differentiate themselves and stand out, there is an urgent need for undergraduates to expand their knowledge through external resources, and financial assistance such as this, goes a long way in gaining access to such resources.   

Further, John Keells Holdings works together with local universities to conduct soft skills workshops, branded ‘The Final Step’. The objective of ‘The Final Step’ is to enhance the employability of local graduates by providing them a realistic perspective of employment opportunities in Sri Lanka and preparing them for the demands of the private sector. It covers a wide range of topics including Employer Expectations, Team Building and Leadership Skills, Adapting to the Corporate Environment, Personality Development and Confidence Building, Personal Grooming and Corporate Hospitality. ‘The Final Step’ was conducted for the eighth consecutive time at the University of Jaffna in March 2013.

In a related area, the Group also conducts the ‘English for Teens’ scholarship program in 19 districts of the country annually. Conceptualised by John Keells Foundation (the CSR arm of the Group) and implemented through Gateway Language Centres, the ‘English for Teens’ program is aimed at providing foundation-level English language training for early teens.  Introduced in 2004, the John Keells English Language Scholarship Program focuses primarily on teaching English for daily use and basic interactions, helping students understand and feel comfortable in interacting with others in English in a simple way. The program has, to date, empowered the lives of over 4,400 persons in various parts of the country.