Tuesday, 27 August 2013 00:03
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In a unique partnership, HSBC Sri Lanka together with HSBC Global Service Centre (GSC) joined Sri Lanka Unites, a youth movement for hope and reconciliation, to empower students in the Mullaitivu district with academic opportunities through the provision of 150 scholarships.
With many challenging conditions brought on by a three decade long civil war which affected the Mullaitivu district, students who sit their A Level examinations often find it difficult to compete for university entry, resulting in many dropouts. Without adequate qualifications, they are often forced to take up manual labour, with only a very small number being able to take up skilled labour. The remaining students are forced to travel to far regions to find opportunities to pursue their higher education with the hope of entering university.
Under this initiative, 150 deserving students from challenging backgrounds (mother is the sole breadwinner, differently-abled or disabled family member, and students from low income families) aged 15-25 years, will be given the opportunity to follow IT, business entrepreneurial studies and English language courses.
As such, selected students will be able to complete a diploma in IT (with accreditation by Edexcel, UK), basic diploma in business entrepreneurial studies and basic English courses based on the Tea Leaf Vision syllabus, by attending weekday/weekend classes. These will be conducted at the fully equipped reconciliation centres in Mullaitivu, set up by Sri Lanka Unites with the support of the British High Commission in Sri Lanka.
Speaking on the project, Patrick Gallagher, CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said: “It is imperative that organisations take responsibility of providing academic opportunities, guidance and knowledge to improve the lives of these young people who are the future of our nation. At HSBC, education has been a major thrust in our global corporate sustainability efforts and this project fits well in addressing the greater need of the country.”
IT courses will be conducted by ESOFT – a well reputed and leading institute for IT education in Sri Lanka, while the English and business courses will be conducted by Sri Lanka Unites teachers based on elements of the Tea Leaf Vision courses in Maskeliya.
With a view of increasing the employability of these students, GSC will conduct career development training for students in Colombo, where they will receive guidance in personal grooming, self-marketing, and relationship building skills that are needed in a corporate environment. Equipped with these skills, students will be able to increase their chances of finding suitable employment and similar training will be scheduled in Mullaitivu subsequently.
