Sri Lanka’s labour force participation 50.5%, lowest in South Asia

The government has taken many initiatives to enhance the technical and vocational education and training ( TVET) sector in Sri Lanka, Anura Dissanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister opined delivering the opening address at the Serendipity Knowledge Program ‘Transitioning Towards Multiple and Flexible Education and Skills Pathways to Work or Further Study held by the Sri Lanka Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently.

Dissanayake said it is observed that a wide gap exists between available skills and market demand in Sri Lanka. Many of the country’s youth leave the formal education system without sufficient employment skills because their access to middle level skills training and entry to skills programs were inadequate. These are compounded by the low market relevance of technical and vocational training in the country. As a result, there is a high unemployment rate among youth which stood at 27.9% in 2022.

He said the country already has a low labour force participation in South Asia which is 50.5% in comparison to India 51.5%, Pakistan 52.7%, Bangladesh 58.3% and Maldives 63.6%. “Enhancing the quality and relevance of TVET can solve this issue. As we all know, Sri Lanka’s economy is rapidly changing and new technologies are emerging all the time. This means that there is a growing need for a workforce that is skilled and adaptable. Employees need to be able to learn new skills quickly and adapt to new situations in order to be successful in this changing economy.I strongly believe that this forum will facilitate participants to better understand and identify the importance of strengthening an inclusive education system, with the focus on multiple and flexible learning pathways in order to widen employment opportunities for the people of Sri Lanka.”

The National Education Policy Forum of Sri Lanka for the 2023 to 2033 decade was drafted by a Cabinet Committee. According to that, the major challenges identifying the technical and vocational education sector were the unattractiveness of TVET sector in school leavers and they demanded a degree status for the sector. Therefore, in the efforts of development of the education sector, it is essential for all relevant stakeholders to recognize the importance of implementing diverse and flexible pathways as an enabler to enhance employment opportunities, allowing them to contribute to social economic growth in Sri Lanka. “Hence, I consider this event is one of the key stepping stones towards addressing the needs of the education reforms. When discussing the multiple and flexible pathways, it is quite evident that secondary vocational and higher education systems need an integrated framework,” he said.

“This framework should facilitate professionalized and customized learning pathways, fostering smooth transitions and customized learning pathways. By encouraging lifelong learning for all individuals by enabling multiple and flexible pathways, we can expect a significant increase in student enrollment,” he added.

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