Sri Lanka’s only professional network of practising HR professionals, the Association of Human Resource Professionals (AHRP), recently launched the Guiding Leadership & Outreach (GLO) programme. An initiative of Global Learning Lab, in collaboration with AHRP and AIESEC Sri Lanka, will be a pioneering platform to empower young Sri Lankans who aspire to become future leaders with knowledge, skills, and community-based learning experiences. GLO is further supported by leading Sri Lankan corporations, including Brandix, Fortude, IFS, John Keels Holdings, and Sysco LABS, showcasing its commitment to empowering the country’s future talent pool.
According to global reports, young people worldwide cannot identify or acquire the skills needed for today’s job market, contributing to a global skills gap and exacerbating youth unemployment. An international skills gap, economic decline, and an employment market requiring more complex and diverse skills than ever have contributed to a significant drop in youth employment over the past two decades. Sri Lanka is also facing a substantial shortage of skilled resources. Most young people in the country do not receive the support or experience to develop their skills for the leadership demands today.
In such a context, the Guiding Leadership & Outreach (GLO) programme will act as an integrated, multidimensional approach to creating sustainable communities, youth development, and community well-being in Sri Lanka. As the localised version of the renowned Leadership Academy by Global Learning Lab, GLO is designed to develop youth as citizen leaders and inspire them to see themselves as change agents with concrete ideas about how to use their leadership skills to help them make a positive difference to the communities and the entire nation. Academy elements of this program include a 2-day youth leadership program and a sustainable development project led by youth.
Regarding the initiative, Robin Smith, Co-founder of Global Learning Lab, said, “The foundation for any successful community is learning, leadership and collaboration. We believe individual knowledge, experience, and social/community-based learning are key to sustainability. Sri Lanka’s youth and young leaders are the key to resilience. Investing in them can unleash social and economic innovation and thinking that benefits our collective future. In that context, the launch of the GLO program signifies a significant step towards shaping Sri Lanka’s future of leadership.”
Speaking at the GLO launch held at Fortude, Fortude Managing Director Arjuna Sirinanda said, “At Fortude, we understand the power of global leadership development and the importance of empowering our employees to navigate complex global environments. Investing in initiatives such as GLO can retain talent within the country and create a vibrant leadership development and innovation ecosystem. We must get behind this program and provide young leaders mentorship, resources, and market access, enabling them to make meaningful economic contributions.”
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