Financial Times

Under the impression that there is unemployment in Sri Lanka? Well think again. What’s happening in the job market is not necessarily a lack of opportunities but a mismatch in skills against the jobs available.

If a proper study is done, Sri Lanka may perhaps have enough jobs to cater to the unemployed but cannot fill them due to a combination of applicants not having the skills for a particular job or unwilling to accept what’s on offer because its below their dignity.

JobsNet, the network set up some years back as a public-private partnership to fill the need to match jobs on offer against those seeking jobs, found through recent surveys that one of the biggest problems is finding people to fit the opportunities available in the market.

JobsNet Project Director Priantha Fernando told The Sunday Times FT that a misconception of jobs in the market and reluctance to be trained in vocational training centre have given rise to this situation.

Rural youth, like any urban youth, look for the best jobs and well paying ones like lawyers, accountants, etc but they are unaware of the other vast opportunities available, earning capacity in these sectors and career paths that ought to be taken.

JobsNet tries to bring this knowledge to youth at grassroot levels and train them to accept different jobs that are available. “There is so much parental-peer pressure that has brought in an attitude that some jobs are inferior. Even in the fields of sales and marketing, there is a lot of persuasion that goes in, to get the person to accept a job. It is similar in insurance where there is a misconception about the industry although there are a lot of opportunities with great earning capacity in this field,” Mr. Fernando said.

He said that this misconception must has to change if Sri Lanka is to bridge the mismatch in the job market. Whatever the industry, it’s important that a skilled workforce is created in order to compete with other countries and ensure quality products. For example the apparel industry – one of the key foreign income earners is struggling in terms of labour as JobsNet has found it extremely difficult to fill about 8000 -9000 jobs.

“They (the unemployed) are not making full use of vocational training centres and this has been one of the reasons why we are unable to fill skilled positions like masons, carpenters, plumbers, etc required by the construction industry as well,” he said.

JobsNet through its 19 centres also train youth for foreign employment. Mr. Fernando explained that since foreign jobs require a minimum two years of training, these job seekers are initially placed in the local industry after receiving necessary skilled certifications.

That’s not all. JobsNet also supports employers in Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Batticaloa and Ampara in taking people on, on-the-job training for a period of time so that it benefits both the worker and the company. Their target is to support about 5000 people through this programme.

Another project that is due to start is to support high-tech training that will bring together industries and training institutions and provided training to those interested.

Mr Fernando said that JobsNet will also be working closely with the Ministry of Education in 2000 schools, training career guidance counselors in order to change the mindset of the children’s idea of a job.

“We invite more professional people and also those who feel underemployed to register with us because we feel there are top jobs that could be offered to them,” Mr. Fernando said.