The ‘English for Life’ scholarships from John Keells Holdings (JKH), was granted to 1,600 young people, including students from the Jaffna district in 2009, said the company in a press release.
“The programme, which was advertised in the newspapers in June 2009, attracted over 4,000 applicants, of whom over 1,600 were selected after a placement test set by Gateway,” said JKH.
“One of the highlights of the 2009 programme was that for the first time scholarships were extended to students of the Jaffna district. The programme was also conducted in Ampara, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Trincomalee and Vavuniya,” said the company.
The scholarship programme covers course fees, examination fees, text books and other course material. Implemented by the John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation, through Gateway Language Centers, the ‘English for Life,’ scholarship is designed to help youth aged between 17-25 gain practical skills in English, together with a basic knowledge of IT and soft skills.
“Although I graduated from Jaffna University with a B. Com., it was the English for Life scholarship programme that has provided me with tools to face the real world,” said a beneficiary of the recently concluded English for Life scholarship programme, S.A. Ruben.
The certificate distribution for 2009/10, was held recently at the Gateway centres of Colombo, Kalutara Kandy, Galle, Trincomalee, Jaffna and Vavuniya. The certificate distribution at centres in Anuradapura, Gampaha, Batticaloa and Ampara are scheduled to be held in August.
Speaking at the certificate distribution ceremony held at the Colombo Centre, the Head of CSR at JKH, Lalith Ramanayake, said “English language is imperative for students like yourself in the context of it being the global business language, as well as its importance in the fields of IT as well as in day-to-day functions such as the use of computers, email, Internet, mobile phones and even short message service (SMS).”
The Director of the Gateway Language Centre, Dr. Harsha Alles, addressing the certificate recipients at this ceremony said, “The John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation has given you the opportunity and the confidence to break the barriers and to have new beginnings for your future”. |
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