EDEX Magazine April 2011

3. Pinnacle

41. Education

Sailing at the Pinnacle...................3,4,6,8 lms;dka wð;a msßiaf.a iqmsß w;aoelSï..... 12-14

15. Careers

46. Theme Pages

28.

52. Books I Love to Read 34. IT Savvy 53. Theme Pages 36. Green

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Pinnacle

Sailing at the Pinnacle The EDEX+Plus crew goes on board a journey of discovery with Capt. Ajith Peiris, to get an insight into the dynamic and ever-changing sea-scape of the shipping industry Sharlene De Chickera spoke to Capt. Ajith Peiris to get an insight into this exciting industry...

Q. Can you tell us how you entered the shipping industry?

The interest for shipping was derived from a friend of mine who was sailing. In the meantime I responded to an advertisement for a vacancy in a newspaper posted by the Ceylon Shipping Corporation. I got through all evaluation tests and became the batch top and thereby received a scholarship to undergo training on Indian State training ship “Rajendra” from 1974 to 1976. Then I joined Ceylon Shipping Corporation. I must mention that it took some persuasion and convincing of my family to allow me to get into the shipping industry, initially, as I was getting into unchartered waters so to speak, and more into an area of the unknown than the known. However, this was my dream and I would not have chosen second best.

Q. How did you progress in your career from being a “sailor”?

I sailed in all ranks from cadet to ship captain before joining a German shipping company for a short period. I became a ship captain passing all the relevant exams and at the age of 28 years became one of the youngest to get the command of a foreign going (Class 1) ship.

I would like to mention that during my sailing career from cadet to ship captain I had the opportunity to sail through many oceans, to visit many countries (approximately 60), encounter many types of weather and meet different persons of different nationalities which helped me to groom myself and gain experience to climb up the ladder.

The other experience I got as seafarer was to visit many ports in the world; including underdeveloped ports such as Mukhalla in South Yemen and developed ports like Tokyo and Rotterdam where I witnessed a contrast of facilities available.

This made me to reflect on and appreciate what we have in our lives.

After departing from my sailing career in 1988, I joined Ceyline Shipping Limited, a shipping crew management company, as General Manager. I was promoted as Director General Manager in 1989 and became a share holder Managing Director in 1990. In 1991 I was appointed the Group Managing Director of Ceyline Group.

Q. What do you consider as turning points of your career to reach the pinnacle in the shipping industry?

With the appointment as Managing Director I lead the Ceyline Group to be the most diversified shipping group in Sri Lanka covering a spectrum of businesses within and out of marine industry. Starting with maritime training and education, Ceyline ventured in to liner shipping and feeder services, reefer container management, marine surveys, logistics and ship owning, ship supplies, ship repairs, healthcare and IT. Professionalism, honesty, commitment, hard work, loyalty helped me to reach the present position in the Industry.

Q. In your opinion, what are the positive features of the local shipping industry?

Strategically located in the Indian Ocean closer to the main sea route from the Far East and Australia to Europe and America, Sri Lanka is geographically well located. Specially, Colombo is a major port of call for more than 30 main lines including almost all top container carriers and more than15 feeder carriers. Most larger container carriers do not call at Indian, Pakistan and Bangladesh ports because they do not have sufficient depths and facilities to handle such vessels and also they are handicapped in other ancillary marine services vital for the shipping trade. Sri Lanka is an island with an advantageous location for global maritime

Capt. Ajith Peiris

Memberships : · Fellow Member of Nautical Institute (FNI), Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (FCILT) and Fellow Member of Certified Professional Managers (FCPM) · President of Company of Master Mariners in 2005 · Chairman of Ceylon Association of Ships’ Agents from 2006 to 2008 · Member of Committee appointed by His Excellency the President on Maritime Affairs under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice P. A. Rathnayake, Judge of the Supreme Court in 2009

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Pinnacle activities. The current government policy is to make Sri Lanka the centre of the Asian silk route. There is major planning by the government to turn Sri Lanka in to a regional hub of maritime and logistics.

Developing Sri Lanka as a maritime centre in the region will provide logistical support to global shipping and will also significantly enhance the national economy.

adjacent to it. Developing Hambantota as a multipurpose international port primarily for conventional cargo will help ease channel congestion at Colombo by transferring break bulk activities to Hambantota. Capacity will be enhanced to handle large passenger vessels and car carriers to help tourism and vehicle transshipment activities.

However, a few ports in India have developed container terminals enabling service to 3rd generation container vessels and a few other ports are planning to strengthen their container handling capacity with foreign investments.

A yacht marina is being provided at Galle to encourage tourism. Ship repairs, bunkering, ship handling and off shore supplies can also be accommodated.

Trincomalee will be developed as an eco-port. With its unique marine habitats, tremendous natural resources and heritage it has the potential to attract tourists. The bay environment shall be protected and preserved leaving room mainly for leisure activities. Commercial maritime movements will be facilitated by a common user jetty that is built south of Trincomalee.

Indian sub-continental ports cannot be compared with Colombo at this stage because the depth of all those ports is lesser than Colombo by about 3 to 4 meters and calling large vessels into such ports would be a risky operation. In addition to the above the ships’ requirements do not confine only for cargo handling facilities but for other ancillary services such as bunkering, ship repairs etc, as well. In this context Colombo is far ahead of Indian sub-continental ports. Top of all that deviation costs from main shipping routes to these ports will be very much higher than for Colombo. As such, some of these ports could be looked in as possible minihubs to take Indian cargo by feeder vessels to Colombo or any other major hub.

Q. How are Sri Lankan ports being geared to keep upto designed plans and also to meet with competition?

Colombo port was developed and equipped to handle a vastly increased volume of trans-shipment domestic cargo.

Anticipating changing trends, the port adapted itself swiftly to switch over from the break-bulk to container system in cargo handling. The advances in container handling facilities in Colombo served as an impetus to local shippers and exporters to containerize their cargos to suit foreign market conditions. At the same time, services and facilities are structured to cater to the growing trans-shipment trade in the region. There are three container terminals namely Jaya Container Terminal (JTC), Unity Container Terminal (UCT) and Samagi Container Terminal (SCT).

In addition to that, SLPA came to a private-public partnership with South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT). Today, Colombo has emerged as the gateway to South Asia.

Port facilities adjacent to and outside the existing Port of Colombo are being expanded or newly established

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Kankasanthurai and Point Pedro will function as regional ports that compliment economic and industrial development.

Oluvil port will be developed as a regional port to handle bulk and break bulk cargo to meet demands for development of the region comprising districts of Ampara, Batticaloa, Monaragala and Badulla.

Q. Will the construction of new ports be an added impetus?

Shipping indeed is an attractive field chosen by the youth in terms of prestige and income. Locally, there is a major demand for jobs at both skilled and professional levels to meet future demands in ship traffic envisioned for year 2020. General cargo handling is shifted to Galle to provide a better service to container vessels by creating more land space and reducing congestion in shipping channels. The Southern Expressway will provide for creation of new distribution/ logistics hubs

Sri Lanka lost a major stake of ship repair and bunker supplying due to lack of berths for such operations in Colombo because of high concentration on container handling at the Port of Colombo. The current development of the port of Hambanota will facilitate catering to both the said services and provide a better service. Also there are more than 100 vessels per day passing Sri Lanka’s southwest coast with no value addition to the country’s economy. The newly developed Hambantota Port will handle oil, bulk and break bulk cargo as well. When Colombo is unable to expand facilities to meet demands in future, Hambantota will be ready to take over and be ahead of regional competitors.

Q. What other steps shall be taken to reach the goal of becoming a shipping hub of the region?

It will be advantageous if Sri Lanka can increase its exports, substantially to international markets in USA, Europe and other parts of Asia, so that many main liner vessels are attracted to frequently

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Pinnacle call over at Sri Lankan ports. While the government takes action to develop ports and infrastructure of the country it should work with the private sector to attract more main line operators. The government also needs to scrutinize more into the conditions of employment to minimize brain drain.

If Sri Lanka could provide value added services by way of enhancing or providing logistics and warehousing facilities, it could attract more multinational brands to invest in setting up their production plants in Sri Lanka, creating more opportunities for shipping.

Necessary amendments to the legislation and creation of conducive environment towards rapid decision making, approval procedures and investment promotional aspects including tax rebates, etc. need to be established. As a renowned economist once said “Sri Lanka needs to streamline many procedures which would in turn increase the ease of doing business". For example, Sri Lanka has more procedures involved in obtaining licenses and permits to build a warehouse,

shipping industry and how shall we be geared to face them?

As said, the government plans to turn Sri Lanka in to a regional hub for maritime and logistics. We are aware that the same is taking place in the South Indian region.

This will limit and divert Sri Lanka’s stake of trans-shipment business. Rapid port and infrastructure development needs to take place, as we need to compete, especially with our neighboring country. Creating an enabling environment for public private partnership in establishing necessary infrastructure and services is of paramount importance. In this informational era international ports have geared themselves accordingly by being IT driven with cutting edge technological solutions (e.g.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in cargo clearing, cargo tracking etc). Thereby they have managed to increase efficiency and being support of Just-in-Time systems adopted by top production plants in the world. Therefore, in order to be on par with other international ports Sri Lanka must expose itself to these developments.

opportunities on board ships as mentioned above opportunities are many in the shipping industry such as shipping agency, freight forwarding, logistics etc.

Q. What is the scope in the shipping industry in terms of jobs? What are considered as key areas that will be attractive to youth?

A school leaver selecting a sailing career after graduating with three years of studies as a cadet officer or an engineer, will be placed on a ship as a third officer/ engineer, within a range of about US$ 1,500 – 2,000 monthly salary. A youth who starts his career as a deck cadet on a cargo ship, can aspire to become a captain in about ten years. A captain can earn up to US $ 8,000 -10,000 per month. Generally the industry is male dominated, though there are some female captains from European countries. The demand of the industry warrants more males joining and sustaining a career path reaching captain level than females. Factors I see which makes the Industry attractive in terms of one’s career decision are higher salary

A school leaver selecting a sailing career after graduating with three years of studies as a cadet officer or an engineer, will be placed on a ship as a third officer/ engineer, within a range of about US$ 1,500 – 2,000 monthly salary compared to other South Asian countries.

Tax administration could be streamlined and revised to boost efficiency of the overall system.

Q. How is shipping viewed as an industry locally? Is it an industry that will attract youth, as a first preference?

Number of procedures in property registration in Sri Lanka exceeds the regional average. Nonetheless, costs are still lower. There is much scope to further strengthen the country’s financial infrastructure, in terms of collection and dissemination of credit information (for both individuals and firms). There is a need to increase the level of transparency and accountability concerning transactions in the country, to encourage a higher level of economic activity. Risk to growth in the post-conflict era has receded but several potential areas need monitoring such as prolonged weaknesses of advanced economies, accelerated inflation due to commodity price shocks, slow pace of reforms, investors’ perceptions of increased fiscal weaknesses and inability to diversify domestic production structures.

Shipping indeed is an attractive field chosen by the youth in terms of prestige and income. Locally, there is a major demand for jobs at both skilled and professional levels. We could see that there are many children following in the footsteps of parents and they are encouraged by their parents to choose the field despite negative perceptions of a minor part of the society.

About 20 years ago, there was a bad image in becoming a seafarer. But once Ceylon Shipping Corporation started owning and operating ships, many locals became seafarers and the bad image slowly went away. The local youth who earn money from the shipping trade return to villages to start businesses. This aids development of the local community, and sometimes they return to the shipping trade after an absence of a couple of years in the event, the businesses do not become too prospective. The tendency is to get back into shipping again. Apart from having

Q. What potential challenges exist as impediments to developing the

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levels, prestige and stability of the industry (since the sea transportation mode is vital for world trade). Also, the opportunity to travel around the world and one’s passion to take up challenges will drive one to take up a sea going career.

The scope is enormous in this field; either it is sea faring or non-seafaring.

Especially in Sri Lanka, with the expansion of ports and increase of trade activities there will be a increase in job opportunities in the field. Also, with the shortage of officers and engineers in the international market Sri Lankans are greatly in demand to take up these jobs with competitive salaries.

Q. What basic entry level opportunities do exist for youth?

Specially, for youth who lack basic exposure, yet may be interested in getting in to this industry?

The field is open for those who have passed GCE Advanced Level examination to enter training to become a navigation cadet or an engineering cadet. At the same time they need to posses an acceptable level of IQ, physical fitness and knowledge

The Future is Now

@ CINEC Maritime Campus The Colombo International Nautical & Engineering College which is popularly called and known as the CINEC Maritime Campus nestles in the picturesque suburbs of Malabe.

Established in the year 1990 CINEC bears the unique distinction of having its foundation on four distinct quality management systems which is rarely found elsewhere.

ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Standard, ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System Standard, OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health & Safety Management system; and DNV Standard for Maritime Academies collectively provides for the quality of the human resource produced through the network of academic excellence at CINEC. CINEC is the only organization in Sri Lanka to win the Prestigious National Quality Award for three consecutive occasions and it is the proud winner of Asia Pacific Quality Award for “Best in Class Education Organization” year 2010.

There are countless Universities and Colleges throughout the world and a myriad of educational programs. Moreover, higher education is the key to a successful career path and there are hundreds of Sri Lankan students who wish to do their higher studies after completion of their O/Ls and A/Ls and what better place than in a world class campus right here on home soil. CINEC presents an expanding horizon for a value added education system that could successfully deal with the mismatch between student demand and market needs that currently prevail.

CINEC, Sri Lanka's largest private institute of higher education with branches in Colombo City, Trincomalee and Jaffna provides World Class Excellence in Education and Training. It caters for over 14,000 students annually, who follow a range of over 150 study and training programs on offer, all leading to highly sought-after opportunities of employment in fields of Maritime activities, Logistics and Transportation, Engineering, and in Information Technology.

Help is on the way and it's in the form of a premier and a pioneering higher educational institution launched by a group of eminent educationalists, CINEC offers programs to suit everyone and the choices are many. CINEC offers internationally recognized degree programs affiliated with foreign universities: in Australia, UK and China, giving the opportunity for Sri Lankan students to

excel in higher education in the different fields. The organizational structure of CINEC consists of 4 main faculties delivering over 150 quality educational programs, all leading to gainful employment in Maritime, Logistics, IT and General Engineering which Disciplines from certificate level to Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral Degrees.

The academic faculties at CINEC are amongst some of the best found in the country. Our staffs are both qualified and competent in the relevant subject areas with long years of teaching and counselling experience.

The Faculty of Maritime Sciences offers courses in Navigation, Maritime Safety and Survival and Marine Communication.

The Faculty of Marine Engineering offer courses in Marine Engineering, Marine Electrical and Electronics and Industrial Engineering.

The Faculty of Engineering Sciences offer courses in Electronics and Communication, Mechatronics, Mechanical, Automotive Systems and Engineering Design Management as well as Ocean Engineering, Marine and Offshore Systems Engineering and Naval Architecture.

The Faculty of Management offers courses in International Transportation and Logistics which paves the way for students to secure highly desirable positions of employment, locally as well as internationally, in fields of Logistics, Transportation, Freight Forwarding, International Trade, Warehouse Management and Supply Chain Management.

CINEC IT is an associate ICT education and training institution of CINEC, which delivers quality ICT training in Sri Lanka. Programs conducted at CINEC IT offers courses leading students up to Diploma, Advanced Diploma and which leads eventually to a degree in Information & Communication Technology.

CINEC has some of the best sports and recreational facilities for students which provides for the opportunity to keep them both physically and spiritually active enabling them to excel academically. CINEC students are can participate at Yoga sessions, social dancing, music and other social activities within the Campus which gives them the right balance to cope with the rigours associated with employment.

Join us and experience in first hand after your O/L’s and A/L’s…

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Pinnacle of English. Those who do not posses Advanced Level qualifications can enter the field as skilled employees such as motorman, boson etc. I must mention that the shipping industry is a very lucrative career available in Sri Lanka. A school leaver with 3 passes in mathematics or science in A/Ls can get into this field.

Q. What categories of skilled/ professional jobs related to the industry will provide more job opportunities, in the long run?

Although Sri Lanka doesn’t have a large fleet of ships the demand for our seafarers comes from foreign shipping companies in countries such as Germany, Japan, Greece and Hong Kong. Sri Lankans are in higher demand in the international market since they are acquainted with the English language more than the other seafaring nations.

One of the surveys has revealed that there will be a shortage of about 40,000 officers and engineers in the international market by 2015. Actually the demand for such a large number of officers in the industry might get reduced due to the effects of economic recession. The natural tendency in the world is that when a country reaches the category of a ‘developed nation’, the citizens will prefer to choose an executive level job closer to home rather than being away from the family while earning the same remuneration. Therefore, officers from developing countries will have a great demand.

Q. Do we have enough capacity in higher education and vocational training institutes locally in this field to cater to the future demand for trained professionals in the industry?

Yes, we do have sufficient capacity to cater to current needs. It needs more upgrading in terms of modern technology but from now on we have to be prepared to expand to cater to the future needs.

Q. What are the current barriers of entry to the shipping industry for rural youth? How can we eliminate these barriers?

The main barrier I see is lack of awareness among the rural youth.

Many are not aware of the spectrum of opportunities available in terms of training and employment. Even three decades ago the seafaring career was chosen by Roman Catholic, Christian community of Sri Lanka over cultural issues. But now I am happy to see that such trends have changed. The parents were reluctant for their children being exposed to different

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I must mention that the shipping industry is a very lucrative career available in Sri Lanka. A school leaver with 3 passes in mathematics or science in A/Ls can get into this field cultures for fear of being spoilt. What I feel is that it will not happen if one is self disciplined and has a sound knowledge of world’s different cultures and also posses a high level of emotional intelligence.

The other barrier I see is that the wrong perceptions over high cost of education. It is not always the case. There are plenty of financial assistance offered by the government as well as private sector institutions. The fees are on par with the other professional qualifications.

The other barrier I would see is the English language skill. One would be reluctant and deter from entering into the Industry due to lack of English language skills. I earlier mentioned that Sri Lankans are comparatively higher in demand due to them being comparatively conversant in English than other seafaring nations. Therefore, our youth need to take advantage of this opportunity to equip themselves with this skill as there is plenty of training available in Sri Lanka.

Q. In your opinion, what are the critical policy decisions that should be taken by the government to help the shipping industry in terms of providing a skilled workforce required for the industry? What is the role of the private sector in achieving the objective?

Government needs to give more facilities to provide industry related training to youth and create more awareness on

opportunities available. English language training, training on ethics and cross cultural awareness is a crucial thing that the government needs to look into as we come across situations where deserting seafarers have issues related to such aspects, having conflicts and making demands that result in foreign principals loosing trust on Sri Lankans.

I wish to mention that the government has identified this and formed a special Presidential Committee on Maritime Affairs headed by Hon. Justice P. A. Rathnayake, comprising of officials representing Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Ceylon Shipping Corporation, Directorate of Merchant Shipping and Ceylon Association of Ships’ Agents.

There are many private sector institutions providing a range of programmes from skills development, vocational training to doctorate programmes related to shipping industry ensuring employability at organizations worldwide and I am proud to say that many Sri Lankan professionals are recognized worldwide, and some of them are steering top positions.

Government also must offer fiscal benefits such as tax exemptions to institutions providing employment and bringing in foreign exchange to the country.

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Pinnacle

keõ l¾udka;fha ñ, l< fkdyels jákdlï fidhd EDEX + Plus l< pdßldfõ§ yuqjQ lms;dka wð;a msßiaf.a iqmsß w;aoelSï''' idlÉPd igyk Yd,ska ä Ñflard" mßj¾;kh wixld úfca,;a m%' Tn keõ ms<sn| l¾udka;hg m%fõY jqfka fldfyduo@ 1974 isg 1976 olajd bka§h rcfha rdfÊkaø kefõ mqyqKqjlska ;uhs uu uf.a jD;a;Sh Ôú;h wdrïN lf<a' ug fï wjia:dj ,enqfKa ,xld keõ (Shipping) ixia:dj uÕska m%odkh lrk ,o YsIH;ajhla ksid' B<Õg uu ,xld keõ ixia:dfõ lms;dka ;k;=r olajd Wiia ùï ,nñka lghq;= l<d' wk;=rej flá l,lg c¾udkq keõ iud.ulg iïnkaO jqKd' úfoaYhlg hd;%d lrk kejl wKfok ,dnd,;uhka w;ßka flfkla njg m;afjñka uu jhi 28 § lms;dka jrfhla njg m;a jqkd' uf.a mjqf,a whj fï i|yd fmd<Ujd .ekSu ;rula wiSre jQ nj lsj hq;=hs' flfia fj;;a fuh uf.a isykh jqKd' m%' kdúlfhla njg m;aùfuka Tn Tfí jD;a;Sh Ôú;fha m%.;sh w;a lr.;af;a flfiao@ 1988 § uf.a kdúl jD;a;shka iuq.ekSfuka miqj uu iS,hska keõ wdh;khg iïnkaO jqKd" General Manager f,ig" 1989 §' 1990 § Managing Director njg m;ajqKd' 1991 § iS,hska wdh;kfha lKavdhï Managing Director f,ig udj m;a lrkq ,enqjd' m%' keõ l¾udka;fha Wia ;;ajhlg m;aùug Tfí jD;a;Sh Ôú;fha ixêia:dk f,i Tn i,lkafka fudkjdo@ iS,hska lKavdhfï Managing Director njg m;aùfuka uu th ,xldfõ jvd;au úúOdx.SlrKh jQ keõ lKavdhu njg m;a lsÍug kdhl;ajh ÿkakd' 2005 § uu udiag¾ fuÍka wdh;kfha iNdm;s f,i m;a lrkq ,enqjd' 2006" 2007" 2008 jirj, ,xld keõ ksfhdað;hkaf.a ix.ufha iNdm;sj isáhd' 2009 § .re P.A. r;akdhl úksiqrejrhdf.a iNdm;S;ajfhka hq;a kdúl lghq;= ms<sn| lñgqfõ idudðlfhla f,ig ckdêm;s;=ud úiska udj m;a l<d' ,sìhdj" hqlaf¾kh yd úhÜkduh ms<sn| lghq;= lrk jHdmdr ksfhdað; uKav,fha idudðlfhla f,ig udj m;al<d'

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m%' f.da,Sh keõ l¾udka;h ms<sn| wmg úYaf,aIKhla bÈßm;a lsÍug Tng yelso@ f.da,Sh yd mq¿,a njg wu;rj id.r m%jdykh ;ju;a b;d ;rÕldÍhs' wfkla m%jdyk udOHhka yd ii|k úg thg jehjkafka wvqu msßjehla' mdßfNda.sl NdKavj, wjidk jákdlug tl;=jk kdúl m%jdyk .dia;=j b;d wvqhs' f.da,Sh jYfhka NdKav p,kfhka 80] la isÿjkafka keõ yryd" th b;d jeo.;a m%jdyk udOHhla' iuyr ixj¾Okh fjñka mj;sk rgj, wiSre foaY iSud ;rKh lsÍfï ls%hdj,Ska iy wixj¾ê; N+ñ m%jdyk há;, myiqlu ksid fuh óg;a jvd jeähs' keõ l¾udka;hg lkafÜk¾ keõ" ny,qï keõ" f;,a keõ wd§ úúO keõ wka;¾.; fjkjd' rdcHhka 150 lg wêl m%udKhla f,dal keõ fgdka m%udKh i|yd odhl;ajh orkjd' mekudj i;=j fgdka ñ,shk 173 la o ,sìhdj i;=j fgdka ñ,shk 79 lao" nydudia ys fgdka ñ,shk 47 la o ;sfnkjd' fydxfldx" isx.mamQrej" .%Sish" fuda,agdj" Ökh iy wefußld tlai;a ckmoh hk rgj,a o óg we;=<;a' iuia; f,dalfha keõ fgdka m%udKfhka 17'4] la ysñj we;af;a .%Sishg' cmdkhg 15] la ysñhs' c¾uksh" Ökh" fkda¾fõ iy weußld tlai;a ckmoh tl;=j 26] la ysñlr .kakjd' cd;Hka;r m:hka ys fiajh lrk iEu rglgu mdfya wh;a ks,OdÍka 460"000 la iy m%udKkhka 721"000 la isákjd' keõ .uka .dia;= ms,smSkfha iy bkaÈhdfõ by<hs' Ökfha o keõ .dia;= miq.sh jir lSmfha by< .shd' hqfrdamh" fl%dafhaáhdj" hqlaf¾kh keõ lafIa;%hg fyd| ks<OdÍka" Y%uh iïmdokh lrk rgj,a njg ye¢kaúh yelshs' m%' keõ l¾udka;fha ixj¾Okhka fudkjdo@

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keõ l¾udka;h f.da,Sh wd¾Ólh iuÕ wka;¾ iïnkaO;djhlska hqla;hs' th iajNdjfhkau ixlS¾Khs' f.da,Sh fjf<|du u; ±ä f,i r|d mej;Su ksid th f,dal wd¾Ólfha WÉpdjpkhka wkqj

f,dalfha we;s iajNdúl m%jK;djh kï cd;shla ixj¾ê; cd;shla njg m;ajQ úg ;ukaf.a mjq,aj,ska wE;aj lrk /lshdj,g jvd ksjig lsÜgq /lshdjkag mqrjeishka fhduqùuhs' fï ksid ixj¾Okh fjñka mj;sk rgj, ks,OdÍkag fyd| b,a¨ula mj;skq we;

Pinnacle hñka by< yd my< j¾Okhka w;am;a lr .kakjd' kQ;kfha we;s jQ wd¾Ólfha lvd jeàu ±ä f,i keõ l¾udka;hg n,mEjd' keõ l¾udka;h yd f.da,Sh fjf<|du w;r we;s wka;¾ r|d meje;au fld;rïo hkak mila lsÍug Bg jvd fyd| WodyrKhla ;j;a ke;s ;rï' fufyhqï msßjeh wêl ùu ,dN wvqùu ksid keõ msg;aùu wj,x.= ùu fyda m%udo ùu lSmjrla isÿjqKd' f;,a keõ j,g ;u fufyhqï msßjeh wdjrKh lr .ekSug m%udKj;a ;rï bmhSug fkdyelsh' fuu wd¾Ól w¾nqoh lkafÜk¾ fjf<|dug;a n,mEjd' fndfyda lkafÜk¾ jHdmdr wdh;k uqo,a m%Yakj,g uqyqK mEjd' keõ úlsKSu m%udKd;aul jYfhka wvqùu ksid keõ ksIamdok fCIa;%hg o fuh n,mEjd' fndfyda keõ l¾udka; r|d meje;Sug W;aidy l<d rcfhka yd wdfhdaclhkaf.ka uQ,H iïmdok ,nd .ksñk'a l=vd l¾udka;lrejkag l¾udka; jid ±óug fyda r|d meje;Sug úYd, l¾udka; lrejka yd tlaùug isÿjqKd' j¾;udkfha m%jdyk l=,S m%;sY;hka j, hï j¾Okhla olakg ,efnkjd' kuq;a j¾Okh isÿjkafka fifuka' kej; keõ l¾udka;h h:d ;;a;ajhg m;ajkafka ljodo hk m%Yakhg ms<s;=re iemhSu wiSreh' iuyr keõ iud.ï Ökh" ol=Kq fldßhdj" wefußld tlai;a ckmoh iy mekudj iïnkaO jk m:hka ys fiajd iemhSu w;aysgqjd ;sfnkjd' fuu lvd jeàu keõ l¾udka;hg wjia:djla ,nd § ;sfnkjd" wkd.;fha we;súh yels ´kEu w¾nqohla yuqfõ fkdjeà isàug Yla;su;a ls%hdoduhla we;slr .ekSug' 2010 kdúl m%jdykh ms<sn| UNCTAD iÕrdj olajkafka" keõ l¾udka;h l%ufhka h:d ;;a;ajhg m;afjñka ;snqK;a" thg mj;akd wd¾Ól ;;a;ajhka yd keõ m%jdyk .dia;=" hd;%djkaf.a w;sßla; iemhqu uÕska ndOd we;s lrk njhs' m%' Tfí wdl,amhg wkqj" foaYSh keõ l¾udka;fha Okd;aul ,CIK fudkjdo@ Y%S ,xldj N+f.da,Sh jYfhka fyd| msysàula we;s rgla' fld<U hkq úYd, yd m%Odk b,a¨ula we;s jrdhla' fndfyda úYd, lkafÜk¾ jdylhkaf.a b,a¨u fld<U jrdhg mj;skjd' Tjqka ;u keõ bka§h" mdlsia:dk iy nx.a,dfoaY jrdhka j,g fhduq lrkafka keye' ukao Tjqkaj tjeks hd;%djka yeisrùug m%udKj;a .eUqrla iy myiqlï keye' f.da,Sh kdúl ls%hdldrlï i|yd Y%S ,xldj jdisodhl Èjhskla' wdishdkq fiao udjf;a flakaøh njg ,xldj m;a lsÍu j¾;udk ,xld wdKavqfõ m%;sm;a;shhs' keõ" fjf<| yd iemhqï hk wxYj, uOHia:dkhla njg ,xldj m;alsÍu

ie,iqula' fï uÕska cd;sl wd¾Ólfha m%j¾Okh isÿjkq we;s' flfia fj;;a" bkaÈhdfõ jrdhka lSmhla ;u lkafÜk¾ hd;%dx.k ixj¾Okh lr ;sfnkjd 3 jk .Kfha hd;%d j,g fiajh ,nd§ug' tfiau úfoaY wdfhdackhka fhdojñka ;j;a jrdhka lSmhl lkafÜk¾ yeisrùfï Odß;dj jeä lsÍug ie,iqï lr ;sfnkjd' gqáfldaßka jrdh lkafÜk¾ kex.=rï folla ixj¾Okh lr ;sfnkjd' tys m<, ógr 370 la iy .eUqr óg¾ 11'9 la' fld<U jrdhg iudkju gqáfldaßhka jrdh fyd| ia:dkhl msysgd ;snqK;a tys .eUqr iSñ;hs' cjy,a,d,a fkare jrdfha lkafÜk¾ m¾hka; (JNPT) j,o Odß;dj j¾Okh lr ;sfnkjd' kuq;a JNPT jrdfha ;sfnk ie,iqï iSñ;Ndjh ksid thg úYd, yd m%Odk fufyhqïlrejkag fiajh iemhsu wiSre jkq we;s' fpkakdys ógr 600 l m<,la iy ógr 13 l .eUqrla iys; lkafÜk¾ hd;%dx.K 03 la ls%hd;aul lrkjd' lkafÜk¾ yeisrúfï yelshdj fpkakdhs jrdh ;=< ;jÿrg;a ixj¾Okh lr ;snqK;a" ie,iqï iSñ; nj ksid yd gqÜfldaßhka ys jvd wdl¾YKSh nj wdÈh ksid keõ udre uOHia:dkhla f,i fpkakdhs jrdhg ls%hd;aul ùfï yelshdfõ Okd;aul njla fmfkkafka keye' bkaÈhdfõ fldÑka iy msfmda jrdh" mdlsia:dkfha lrÉÑ iy ldisï jrdh" nx.a,dfoaYfha Ñ;f.dka jrdh iDcqju m%Odk keõ iud.ïj, b,a¨ula we;súh yels jrdhka' ie,iqï" m%;Hka; iy fjk;a ndOlhka fya;=fjka m%Odk uOHia:dk njg fuu jrdhka m;aùu iel iys;hs' by; ikao¾Nh wkqj fld<U jrdh iuÕ bkaÈhdkq Wm uyoaùmfha fjk;a jrdhka iei£ug ,la l< fkdyelshs' ulaksido tu ish¨u jrdhkays .eUqr fld<U jrdhg jvd ógr 3-4 lska muK wvq uÜgul mj;S' tfiau úYd, hd;%d tjeks jrdkays fufyhùu wjdoku iys;hs' óg wu;rj" keõ j,g wjYH jkafka yqfola keõ nvq yeisrùfï myiqlï muKla fkdfõ' bkaOk iemhqu" keõ ms<silr lsÍu jeks fjk;a fiajdjka o n,dfmdfrd;a;= fõ' fuu ikao¾Nh ;=<" fld<U jrdh bka§h Wm uyoaùmfha jrdhkag jvd bÈßfhka isà' fï ish,a,gu jvd" m%Odk keõ m:hkaf.a isg fuu jrdhkag ;sfnk wm.uksl mssßjeh fld<Ug we;s msßjehg jvd b;d by< w.hla .kS' fï wdldrhg" fï jrdhka iuyrlg l=vd uOHia:dkhka (Minihubs) f,i ls%hd lsÍfï yelshdj ;sfnkjd" fld<U fyda fjk;a m%Odk uOHia:dkhl wkq fldgila njg m;afjñka' m%' fuu ie,iqu w;am;a lr .ekSug iy ;rÕldÍ njg uqyqK§ug Y%S ,xldfõ jrdhka ikakoaO lr we;af;a flfiao@ iS>%fhka jeäjk foaYSh keõ nvq

m%udKhka yeisrùug fld<U jrdh ixj¾Okh lr ;sfnkjd' fjkiajk m%jK;djka wfmaCId lrñka" jrdh ;=< keõ nvq yeisrùfï lkafÜk¾ moaO;sfha iS>% j¾Okhla we;s l<d' fld<U lkafÜk¾ yeisrùfï myiqlï ixj¾Okh lsÍu foaYSh keõ lrejkag yd wmkhklrejkag Èß .ekaùula jqKd' ukao" úfoaY fjf<|m, ;;a;ajhkag .e<fmk wdldrhg Tjqkaf.a keõ nvq lkafÜk¾.; lsÍug Tjqkag yelshdj ,efnkjd' tfiau j¾Okh fjñka mj;sk l,dmfha keõ yqjudre fjf<|dug wjYH;d msßueiSug fuu fiajd iy myiqlï wdlD;s.; ù ;sfnkjd' lkafÜk¾ hd;%df.k 03 la ;sfnkjd' chd lkafÜk¾ hd;%d.Kh (JCT)" tlai;a lkafÜk¾ hd;%dx.Kh (UCT) iy iu.s lkafÜk¾ hd;%dx.Kh (SCT)' óg wu;rj ol=Kq wdishdkq f.aÜfõ hd;%dx.Kh (SAGT) iuÕ rdcH-fm!oa.,sl yjq,a jHdmdrhlg SLPA meñKshd' wo jk úg" fld<U ol=Kq wdishdfõ jdy,alv f,i ke.S tñka ;sfnkjd' fld<Ug ;odikak fyda msg; myiqlï m%idrKh lr fyda w¨;ska ia:dmkh lr ;sfnkjd" wkd.; wNsfhda. hkag uqyqK §ug' fïjd 2020 jk úg iemsÍug wfmaCIs;hs' jvd fyd| fiajdjla iemhSfï wruqKska idudkH keõ nvq yeisrùu .d,a,g ú;eka lr ;sfnkjd' fuys N+ñ wjldYh mD:q, lsÍu uÕska keõ ud¾.hka ys ;onoh wju lsÍug wfmaCId lrkjd' oCIsK wêfõ.S ud¾.h uÕska Bg ;odikak iemhqï uOHia:dk ks¾udKh lrkq we;s' nyqúO wruqKq iys; cd;Hka;r jrdhla f,i .d,a, ixj¾Okh lsÍu uÕska uQ,slju fld<U § we;s jQ ;onohg myiqjla we;s lrkjd' ukao" fld<U § isÿ jQ keõ nvq f;d. leãfï ls%hdldrlï .d,a,g f.k tkjd' lkafÜk¾.; keõ nvq iSñ; m%udKhlg myiqlï iemhSugo .d,a, jrdh kùlrKh lr ;sfnkjd' ta fld.a., ksoyia fjf<| l,dmfha iy iuia: oCIsK l,dmfha wjYH;d msßueiSug msgqjy,la ùug' úYd, u.S fk!ldjka yeisrùug iy ld¾ f.khk jdylhka yeisrùug" ixpdrl jHdmdrhg iy jdyk wka;¾ yqjudre l%shdldrlï i|yd iyh ùug .d¨ jrdh mq¿,a lrkq we;s' ;s%l=Kdu,h wd¾Ól jrdhla f,i ixj¾Okh fjkq we;s' tys ;sfnk wiydh kdúl f.dapria:dk" úYd, cd;sl iïm;a iy Wreuhka fya;=fjka ixpdrlhka wdl¾Ykh lr .ekSfï Yla;shla thg ;sfnkjd' m%Odk jYfhka úfkdaod;aul ls%hdldrlï i|yd fuys uqyqÿ fndlal wjg mßirh wdrCId l< hq;=hs' ;s%l=Kdu,hg ol=Kska f.dvk.d we;s fmdÿfõ Ndú;d l< yels ceáhla u.ska jdkscuh kdúl lghq;= isÿflfrkq we;s' lkalika;=f¾ iy fmaÿre ;=vqj wd¾Ól yd l¾udka; ixj¾Okhg wNskkaokh lrk l,dmSh jrdhka f,i ls%hd lrkqq we;s' wïmdr" EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

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Pinnacle uvl,mqj" fudKrd.," nÿ,a, Èia;%slal yd iómj l,dmfha ixj¾Ok wjYH;d imqrk l,dmSh jrdhla f,i T¨ú,a jrdh ixj¾Okh jkq we;s' m%' kj jrdhka f.dvkexùu w;sf¾l m%.dulhka njg m;afõúo@ w¨;ska ixj¾Okh l< yïnkaf;dg jrdh f;,a" f;d. iy f;d. leãu yiqrjñka l¾udka; ffO¾hu;a lrkq we;s' ,xldfõ ksß; È. fjrf<a rfÜ wd¾Ólhg lsisÿ m%;s,dNhla tla fkdlrñka hd;%djka 100 la muK Èklg .uka lrhs' wkd.; wjYH;djka iïmdokhg ;rï fld<U iu;a fkdjk úg" l,dmSh ;rÕlrejka yd .eàug yïnkaf;dg iQodkï jkœ we;' m%' l,dmfha keõ uOHia:dkh njg m;aùfï b,lalh imqrd.kakd úg .; hq;= wfkla mshjr fudkjdo@ wefußldkq" hqfrdmdkq yd wdishdfõ fjk;a rgj, cd;Hka;r fj<| m,g m%udKj;a jk ;rñka ,xldjg ;j wmkhk jeä l< yels kï th jdisodhl fõú' rch jrdhka ixj¾Okh lsÍug yd rfÜ há;, myiqlï ÈhqqKq lsÍug lghq;= lrk w;ru m%Odk keõ hd;%d ;j;a wdl¾IKh lr .ekSug lghq;= l< hq;=hs' rch nqoaê .,kh wvq lsÍug ishœï f,i l%shd;aul úh hq;=hs' iemhqï yd .nvd myiqlï jevs ÈhqKq lsÍfuka fyda iemhSfuka fjk;a jákdlï tlajQ fiajdjka ,xldjg iemhsh yels kï" ,xldjg keõ (Shipping) wjia:d jeämqr we;s lrk ksIamdok l¾udkaYd,d ,xldfõ msysgùug nyq cd;sl wdh;k wdl¾IKh lr .ekSug yeljkq we;' nÿ wvq lsÍu jeks wdfhdack m%j¾Ok l%shdjka isÿ lsÍug iqÿiq ;SrK .ekSug wjYH jHjia:d ixfYdaOkhka isÿ l< hq;=hs' lS¾;su;a wd¾Ól úoHd{fhla jfrl mejiqjd" —jHdmdr isÿ lsÍug myiq lrk ls%hdoduhka wkdl+, lsÍu Y%S ,xldjg wjYHhs' fjk;a ol=Kq wdishdkq rgj,a yd ii|k úg" ,xldj úúO ls%hdud¾. f.k ;sfnkjd' .nvdjla f.dvkexùug wjirh yd n,m;%h ,nd.ekSug iuia: moaO;sfha o ld¾hCIu;djhg wNsjDoaêhla we;s lsÍug nÿ mßmd,lhkag lghq;= l< yelshs'˜ ,xldfõ bvï ,shdmÈxÑ lsÍfï ls%hdj,Ska l,dmSh m%;sY;hka blaujd hkjd' ;ju;a msßjeh wju uÜgul mj;S' rfÜ uQ,Huh há;, myiqlï Yla;su;a lsÍug úYd, f,i wjldYh ;sfnkjd' wd¾Ól ls%hdj,Ska ys by< ;;ajhla ,nd.ekSug" rfÜ isÿjk yqjudrejSïys úksúoNdjh iy j.lSï we;s l< hq;=hs' m%' keõ l¾udka;h ixj¾Okh lsÍu wjysr lrñka mj;sk ndOlhka iy wm tajdg uqyqK §ug Yla;su;a úh hq;af;a flfiao@ l,ska lS wdldrhg" ,xldj keõ" fjf<| yd iemhqï uOHia:dkhla njg m;a lsÍug rch ie,iqï lrhs' tu isÿùug ol=Kq

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

mdi,a yerhkafkl= jir 03 lska lefvÜ ks,Odßfhl= fyda bxðfkarejrfhl= f,i WmdêOrfhl= ù keõ l¾udka;fha f;jk ks,Odßfhl= fyda bxðfkarejrfhl= f,i weußldkq fvd,¾ 1"5002"000 l udisl jegqmlg iïnkaO fõ bka§h l,dmfha o isÿjk nj wms okakjd' ,xldfõ wka;¾ keõ udre jHdmdrh fuuÕska iSud lsÍu iy fjk;lg yerùu isÿ lrkq we;s' iS>% jrdh iy há;, myiqlï ixj¾Okhla we;s lsÍu l< hq;=hs' ula ksido wms úfYaIfhkau wfma wi,ajeis rg iuÕ ;rÕ l< hq;=hs' fuu f;dr;=re ;dCIK hq.fha cd;Hka;r jrdhka uÕska f;d. bj;a lsÍu" f;d. fíÍu jeks lghq;= j,§ kùk ;dCIKsl úi÷ï fhdod .kS' f,dalfha fyd|u ksIamdokd.dr uÕska we;s lr ;sfnk ld, moaO;Skag iyh fjñka ld¾hCIu;dj by< kxjd .ekSug Tjqkag yelsj ;sfí' fï ksid" fjk;a cd;Hka;r jrdhka yd iu ;;ajhg m;aùug ,xldjg wjYH kï fuu ixj¾Okhka we;s l< hq;=hs' keõ jD;a;Sh uÕska fjk;a iuqø.dó /lshdjkag jvd mqoa.,hkag fjrf<a lrk /lshdjka f;dard .ekSfï wjia:dj o Wod ù ;sfí' fuu /lshdjka .sKqïlrK" iemhqï" ffk;sl" fufyhqï" WmlrK md,kh" bxðfkare" f,aLk.; lsÍu jeks wxYj, l%shd;aul fõ' m%jdykh yd iemhqu ms<sn| jr,;a wdh;kh iy keõ fn%dal¾jrekaf.a jr,;a wdh;kh uÕska fuu iqÿiqlï w;am;a lr.; yelsh' fuu fCIa;%fha ±kqu ,nd .ekSug wjYH whg udf.a uQ,sl;ajh hgf;a ,xld keõ ksfhdað;hskaf.a ix.uh uÕska iy;sl m;% mdGud,djla ls%hd;aul lrhs' m%' foaYShj l¾udka;hla f,ig keõ l¾udka;h olskafka flfiao@ th ;reK mrmqr wdl¾IKh lr .kakd l¾udka;hla o@ lS¾;sh yd wdodhu Wfoid ;reK mrmqr uÕska f;dard.kakd l¾udka;hla njg keõ l¾udka;h m;aj ;sfí' foaYShj YlH;d yd jD;a;Sh hk uÜgï foflau m%Odk /lshd b,a¨ula ;sfí' wmg fmfkkjd fndfyda orejka foudmshkaf.a wämdf¾ hñka iudcfha iq¨ hehs fkd;lk /lshdjkag wj;S¾K ùu m%;slafIam lrk nj' óg 20 jirlg fmr" iuqø.dóka ms<sn| ;snqfKa krl m%;srEmhla' kuq;a ,xld keõ iud.u keõ ysñlï ,ndf.k fufyhqï lsÍug mgka .ekSu;a iuÕ fuu krl m%;srEmh

l%ufhka úhel=Kd' keõ l¾udka;fhka uqo,a Wmhd.;a foaYSh ;reKhka .ïj,g meñK jHdmdr wdrïN l<d' foaYSh iudch ;=< fujeks ixj¾Okhka iuÕ we;eï úg keõ l¾udka;fhka jir folla wE;aj isg kej; keõ l¾udka;hg tlajQ mqoa.,hka isáhd' m%' /lshd ms<sn|j l;d lrk úg" keõ l¾udka;fha wjldYh l=ulao@ ;reKhkaj wdl¾IKh lr.kakd m%Odk wxY f,i ie,lsh yelafla fudkjdo@ mdi,a yerhkafkl= jir 03 lska lefvÜ ks,Odßfhl= fyda bxðfkarejrfhl= f,i WmdêOrfhl= ù keõ l¾udka;fha f;jk ks,Odßfhl= fyda bxðfkarejrfhl= f,i weußldkq fvd,¾ 1500-2000 l udisl jegqmlg iïnkaO fõ' lefvÜ ks,Odßfhl= f,i jD;a;Sh mgka .kakd wfhl=g jir 10 lska lms;dka ;k;=rg m;aúh yelshs' lms;dkajrfhl=g we'fvd' 8000-10000 la muK Wmhd.; yelshs' iuyr ialekaäfkaúhdkq rgj, ia;%S Y%ñlhka isáh;a m%Odkj fuh msßñkaf.a l¾udka;hla njg m;aj ;sfnkjd' m%' ;reKhka i|yd mj;sk we;=<;a ùfï wjia:d fudkjdo@ úfYaIfhkau" m%Odk ksrdjrKhka u|jQ ;reKhka fuu l¾udka;hg tlaùug leu;s fõúo@ G.C.E. A/L iu;a ;reKhkag wjia:dj ;sfnkjd kdúl lefvÜ jrfhl= fyda bxðfkare lefvÜ jrfhl= f,i mqyqKq ùug we;=<;a ùug' tfiau" fuhg nqoaêuh ±kqu" YdÍßl iqj;djh iy bx.%Sis ±kqu wjYHhs' by< iqÿiqlï imqrd.kafka ke;s wfhl=g YlH;d$ mqyqKq Y%ñlfhla f,i lghq;= l< yelshs' ,xldfõ ;sfnk b;d ,dNodhS jD;a;shla f,i fuu l¾udka;h i|yka l< hq;=hs'

m%' §¾> ld,Skj l¾udka;hg /lshd wjia:djka iïmdokh lrk mqyqKq $ jD;a;Sh /lshd ldKavhka fudkjdo@ ,xldjg úYd, kdúl lKavdhula ke;s jqj;a" ,xldfõ iuqø.dókag fydxfldx" c¾uksh" .%Sish" cmdkh jeks úfoaYSh rgj,ska b,a¨u ;sfnkjd' cd;Hka;r fjf<|mf,a ,dxlslhkag by< b,a¨ula ;sfnkjd' ukao Tjqkaj wfkla cd;Skag idfmaCIj by< bx.%Sis ±kqula ;sfnkjd' ióCIKhlska fmkakqï lr ;sfnk wdldrhg 2015 jk úg ks,OdÍka yd bxðfkarejreka 40"000 l muK ysÕhla we;sj ;sfnkjd' we;af;kau" fuu ks,OdÍka ixLHdj wd¾Ól ì|jeàfï n,mEug ,laj wvqjkq we;s' f,dalfha we;s iajNdúl m%jK;djh kï cd;shla ixj¾ê; cd;shla njg m;ajQ úg ;ukaf.a mjq,aj,ska wE;aj lrk /lshdj,g jvd ksjig lsÜgq /lshdjkag mqrjeishka fhduqùuhs' fï ksid ixj¾Okh fjñka mj;sk rgj, ks,OdÍkag fyd| b,a¨ula mj;skq we;'

Careers

A degree right for the times Sharlene De Chickera interviews

Professor Amal Kumarage, the Head, Department of Transport & Logistics Management to get an insight into the B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Transport and Logistics Management offered by the University of Mortauwaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Faculty of Engineering...

Q. What is the vision and the thinking behind introducing an undergraduate degree course related to transport and logistics at a local state university?

The transport sector in any economy is very important, involving many people and money. In the current context, it has evolved into constitute about 1015% of the national economy. Sri Lanka also has the advantage of being placed at a strategic point on the world-map in terms of transport and trade. However, Sri Lanka has to compete with other transport hubs in the region, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, to sustain our position. As such, the University of Moratuwa commenced the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Transport and Logistics Management in 2005, to meet the industry needs in transportation, including aviation, shipping, supply chain management and logistics. We have a vision of making our Department the largest academic department in South Asia specializing in the transport sector.

The degree programme, though academic, gears students with industry knowledge and readies them to step into the world of transport, with minimal adjustment or further training. The curriculum was carefully designed by me, in consultation with authoritative bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) relevant agencies in transportation and industry professionals, to cater to this niche market of transport.

The degree programme which has just turned out its first set of graduates is proud that it is in line with the goals of making Sri Lanka a naval, aviation and knowledge hub, among other key initiatives to develop the country. To keep the programme relevant and cater to complexities in the transport industry, it will be evaluated and refreshed every five years. Stake-holders from academia and the industry brain-storm the contents to make

it competitive and extremely relevant.

Currently it is being revised to keep abreast with the dynamics of the industry.

Q. What will the future trends of the course be ?

We now provide a quality and sought after undergraduate degree. We are planning to commence post graduate level courses from next year. We also wish to expand our involvement in research for local transport and logistics industry.

There are emerging knowledge areas of intelligent transport systems, green logistics, nano technology in transport etc that will become key areas in the future.

Q. The first batch of students graduated recently in B.Sc (Hons) in Transport and Logistics Management.

What opportunities have been offered to these graduates?

The first batch of B.Sc. (Hons) in Transport and Logistics Management of University of Moratuwa, comprised of 49 graduates. To date state entities such as Sri Lankan Airlines, Road Development Authority, Sri Lanka Ports Authority and companies having businesses or related operations in transport have employed these graduates. Out of the forty nine graduates, three are employed in Maldives and the United Kingdom. On an average, waiting period for gainful employment after graduation had not been more than 3 months for the first batch.

In government agencies the starting salary has been around Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000. In the private sector salaries ranged better with some of whom recruited overseas earning even more. It is understood that many graduates received remuneration packages worth Rs 100,000 within 6 months of graduation. The graduates can aspire for jobs in the private and government sectors. The academic programme gears them to be directly recruitable into managerial level. They

The degree programme, though academic, gears students with industry knowledge and readies them to step into the world of transport, with minimal adjustment or further training have a sense of ownership and pride. I view these graduate as being confident, of being the best to compete or be compared with any foreign graduate.

Q. What career opportunities can undergraduates aspire for in the future as they pass out into the industry?

There are opportunities for graduates to get employed through strategic partner companies, and in the larger context of the industry. The scope for employment EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

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Careers

There are opportunities for graduates to get employed through strategic partner companies, and in the larger context of the industry.

The scope for employment ranges from airline travel and trade, airports and ports, shipping companies, public transport operators, manufacturing and production companies, research and consultancy firms and regulatory and planning authorities ranges from airline travel and trade, airports and ports, shipping companies, public transport operators, manufacturing and production companies, research and consultancy firms and regulatory and planning authorities.

As incomes rise in Sri Lanka as well as in South Asia, transport and logistics activities and related spending will increase significantly. Also, South Asia has complex problems that need to be solved by providing efficient transportation. In this context graduates will be in demand and command good salaries. I see them leading airport development, airline businesses development, as well as in ports and shipping businesses. There are also many opportunities in the land transport sector, both in government agencies that provide infrastructure as well as private operators of different transport services. In future many such services will be provided by corporates and will need professional managers.

Q. What additional skills do you see as necessary for undergraduates to develop, to navigate their career?

Apart from being mathematically oriented they should have strong analytical skills. They also should have a penchant for problem solving and have good communication and people related skills to solve problems.

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It is a priority that students follow a number of modules designed for effective communication skills, team building and other soft-skills, including emotional intelligence. The Transport and Logistics Management Department has also invited companies to partner with the University, in terms of being professional partners to share hands-on experience and to collaborate with research with the aim of solving industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges and issues.

Q. Are there schemes designed to facilitate acquiring of such skills?

The students who choose the field of transport and logistics are analytically strong. What some of the students lack is communication skills and knowledge in English. We have programmes to help the students to speed up their learning process.

In a bid to improve communication skills and team building, a three day outdoor life skills training programme is designed for first year students. The training is to increase self confidence, strengthen positive thinking and attitudes and re-enforce a sense of responsibility.

Student mentoring takes place during first and second years, where groups of 6-7 students meet with a senior executive from the industry to learn about the industry. A career guidance camp is organized by the

department for fourth year students where industry professionals make presentations.

Role-plays are also on, with real-life inefficiencies in the transport system addressed and tackled, in preparation for actual employment situations.

Industry internships are also offered to third year students to sharpen their skills and practically put to use what has been learnt as theory. The placement is for six months, and a student is placed under supervision of an industry related manager, monitored by the university. Depending on their performance, some students have been recruited into the very same companies. During the placement period a student is paid an allowance as a trainee.

Q. Do these graduates have continued opportunities for post graduate and other professional qualifications, and research opportunities?

There are many top ranked universities that offer MSc. MBA, Mphil and PhD programs in transport and logistics. Furthermore, there are specialized higher degree programs in aviation, shipping, supply chain management, public transport, etc. University of Moratuwa also has its own post graduate programmes.

jD;a ;s h

jD;a;Sh wOHdmkfha kj wdf,dalh m%jdykh yd iemhqï l<uKdlrKh ms<sn| f.!rj Wmdê mdGud,dj y÷kajdfoñka uydpd¾h wu,a l=udrf.a fy<sorõ lrhs''' idlÉPd igyk Yd,ska ä Ñflard" mßj¾;kh wixld úfca,;a m%' m%jdykh iy iemhqï l<uKdlrKh ms<sn| Wmdê mdGud,djla y÷kajd §u msgqmi ;sfnk is;=ú,a, yd ±lau l=ulao@ ´kEu rgl m%jdyk wxYh b;d jeo.;a' thg úYd, ñksiqka yd uqo,a m%udKhla fhdojkjd' j¾;udk ikao¾Nh ;=< thg cd;sl wd¾Ólfhka 10] - 15] la muK wka;¾.;hs' m%jdykh yd fj<| wxYhkays uqf,damdhsl ia:dkhl msysgd ;sîfï jdish Y%S ,xldj i;=j ;sfnkjd' fï ksidu Y%S ,xldjg ;u ia:dkh mj;ajdf.k hdug fydxfldx" isx.mamQrej" vqndhs jeks l,dmfha wfkl=;a m%jdyk uOHia:dk iuÕ ;rÕ lsÍug isÿù ;sfnkjd' ,xldfõ m%:u m%jdykh yd iemhqï l<ukdlrKh ms<sn| úoHdfõ§ (B.Sc) f.!rj Wmdëh fudrgqj úYaj úoHd,fhka y÷kajd §u ;=<ska m%jdyk fCIa;%h ;=< l¾udka; wjYH;d imqrd ,Su wruqKQ fjkjd' m%jdyk fCIa;%h ms<sn| úfYaIfhka wOHhkh lrk ol=Kq wdishdfõ ;sfnk úYd,;u wOHhk fomd¾;fïka;=j njg wfma fomd¾;fïka;=j m;a lsÍfï ±laula wmg ;sfnkjd' fuu wOHhk mdGud,dj ;=< isiqkag Ydia;%Sh ±kqu fukau l¾udka; ±kqu o ,ndfokjd' fuys úIh ud,dj ud úiska b;d mßY%ufhka ie,iqï lr ;sfnkafka fjk;a n,h we;s wdh;khkaf.a o WmfoaYkh we;=jhs' tfiau m%jdykh ms<sn| wod< ksfhdað; wdh;khkaf.ao l¾udka; jD;a;Sh fõ§kaf.ao WmfoaYkh ,nd.;a;d' m%:u lKavdhu úiqrejd yeÍ fuu Wmdê mdGud,dj" Y%S ,xldj kdúl" .=jka yd ±kqï uOHia:dkhla njg m;alsÍfï b,lalhg odhl fjkjd hhs wdvïnr jkakg mq¿jka' fuu mdGud,dj jdvd;a fyd¢ka yd M,odhs f,i mj;ajdf.k hdug th jir 05 lg jrla .Kkh lsÍu yd kej; m%dKj;a lsÍu isÿfjkjd' j¾;udkfha fuu mdGud,dj m%;sfYdaOkh fjñka mj;skjd" l¾udka;fha fjk;a .;slhka yd Wfrkqr .eàug' m%' mdGud,dfõ wkd.; m%nK;d jkq we;af;a fudkjo@ wms ±kg .=Kd;aul yd n,dfmdfrd;a;= bgqlrk wdldrfha Wmdê mdGud,djla imhkjd' B<Õ jif¾ mgka mYapd;a Wmdê uÜgfï mdGud,djla wd¾ïN lsÍug

ie,iqï lrkjd' foaYsh m%jdyk yd iemhqï fCIa;%fha m¾fhaIK j, ;j ;j;a fh§ug n,dfmdfrd;a;= fjkjd' m%' m%jdyk yd iemhqï l<ukdlrKh ms<sn| úoHdfõ§ f.!rj Wmdêh ,;a m<uq lKavdhu uE;l§ msgjqKd' Tjqkag ,eî we;s wjia:djka fudkjdo@ fuys m<uq WmdêOrhka .Kk 49 la' wo jk úg" Y%S ,xld .=jka iud.fï" ud¾. ixj¾Okh wêldßfha" Y%S ,xld jrdh wêldßfha iy m%jdykh iïnkaO jHDmdßl lghq;= fyda fufyhqï isÿ lrk wdh;k j, Tjqka /lshd lrkjd' fï w;ßka ;j;a msßila ud,Èjhsfka yd tlai;a rdcOdksfha /lshdjka j, ksr; fjkjd' rcfha wdh;k j, fudjqkaf.a wdrïNl jegqm re 40000 isg 45000 olajd fjkjd' fm!oa.,sl wdh;k j,ska iuyr úfoaaYsh /lshd lrkakkag jvd jegqmla ,efnk wjia:d ;sfnkjd' fndfyda WmdêOrhkag Wmdêh ,eî udi 06 la we;=<; re 100000 l muK mdßf;daYslhla ,eî ;sfnkjd' m%;sY;hla f,ig" /lshdjla ,nd.ekSug Wmdêh ,nd .ekSfuka miqj Tjqkag .; jQ ld,h udi 03 lg jvd jeä Wfka keye' m%' fï wdldrfha mdGud,djka imhk fjk;a foaYsh yd úfoaYSh úYajúoHd, j,ska msgjk WmdêOrhkag jvd" Tfí mdGud,dj yeoErE isiqka ;ukag jgkdlu kshu lr.kafka iy wjia:d ,nd.kafka flfiao@ Tjqkag ysñlu yd wNsudkh ms<sn| yeÕSula ;sfnkjd' uu olsk wdldrhg" fjk;a úfoaYSh WmdêOrfhka yd iei£ug fyda ;rÕ lsÍug úYajdihla we;s fyd|u lKavdhu fuhhs' m%' l¾udka;hg úisr hdfuka miqj" fuu Wmdê wfmaCIlhkag n,dfmdfrd;a;= úh yels jD;a;Sh wjia:djka fudkjdo@ l¾udka;fha jvd úYd, ikao¾Nhla ;=< iy uQf,damdhsl yjq,aldr iud.ï j, /lshdjka ,nd .ekSug fuu isiqkag wjia:dj ;sfnkjd' .=jka m%jdykh iyd fj<|du" .=jka f;dgqm< iy jrdh" keõ iud.ï" fmdÿ m%jdyk fufyhqïlrejka" ksIamdok wdh;k" m¾fhaIK yd WmfoaYk wdh;k jeks wdh;k j, rlshdjka ,eîug yelshs'

m%jdyk fCIa;%h ms<sn| úfYaIfhka wOHhkh lrk ol=Kq wdishdfõ ;sfnk úYd,;u wOHhk fomd¾;fïka;=j njg wfma fomd¾;fïka;=j m;a lsÍfï ±laula wmg ;sfnkjd

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Interested in building a globally mobile career ?

The days of having a single professional qualification to get one’s foot in the corporate door are coming to an end; in today’s competitive job market, having more qualifications means having a sharper edge that will take you further up the ladder faster.

What we offer Qualification

For whom

Useful Information

ACCA Professional Qualification

Post A/L students and graduates who want to purse a globally mobile career as a finance professional

Exams - Comprise 14 papers, 9 of which are available for exemptions depending upon the relevancy of your current academic achievements.

Ethics - Students need to complete an online ethics module prior to applying for membership.

Experience - 3 years relevant practical experience during, before or after exams.

Certified Accounting Technician (CAT)

Students over 16 years of age

CAT provides an early start to the young student who can use CAT as a foundation for the ACCA Professional qualification or as the basis for seeking employment in account support roles.

BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University UK

ACCA Professional scheme students

Students who complete the Skills level of the ACCA examinations can submit a research project and complete an ethics module in order to obtain the degree. The research project is marked by the Oxford Brookes University and the marks of the ACCA papers are taken in to account when awarding the degree.

Contact the ACCA Sri Lanka #424, R A De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3.

2301920 / 2301923 E mail info@lk.accaglobal.com www.accaglobal.com

m%' ;u jD;a;Sh Ôú;h i|yd fuu Wmdê wfmaCIlhskag wjYH hehs Tn is;k wu;r yelshdjka fudkjo@ .Ks;uh yelshdjg wu;rj fyd| úYaf,aIK yelshdjlao ;sìh hq;=hs' m%Yak úi§ug leue;a;la" fyd| ikaksfõok yelshdjla m%Yak úi£ug ñksiqka iuÕ fyd¢ka .Kqfokq lsÍfï yelshdjla ;sìh hq;=hs' m%n, ikaksfõokh" lKavdhï f.dvkexùu iy fjk;a nqoaêuh yd yeÕSïuh uDÿ yelshjka bf.k .ekSu wjYHhs' m%jdyk yd iemhqï l<ukdlrK fomd¾;fïka;=j ±kgu;a ;uka iuÕ iïnkaO ùug wdh;k j,g wdrdOkd lr ;sfnkjd" w;a±lSï yqjudre lr .ekSug iy l¾udka;fha wNsfhda. yd m%Yak úi£u i|yd m¾fhaIK lsÍug' m% 7 - tjeks yelshdjka w;am;a lr .ekSug Woõ jk fhdackd l%uhla ie,iqï lr ;sfnkjdo@ m%jdykh iy iemhqï l<ukdlrKh f;dard.kakd isiqkag fyd| úYaf,aIKd;aul yelshdjla ;sfnkjd' Tjqka iuyfrl=g fyd| ikaksfõok yelshdj iy bx.S%is ±kqu wvqhs' Tjqkaf.a bf.kqï ls%hdj,sh fõ.j;a

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

lsÍug wms jevigyka ls%hd;aula lrkjd' lKavdhï f.dvkexùu iy ikaksfõok yelshjka j¾Okh lsÍug m<uq jir isiqkag f;Èk mqyqKq jevigykla ilia lr ;sfnkjd' fuys§ iajhx úYajdih jeä lr .ekSu" Okd;aul Ñka;kh Yla;su;a lsÍu iy j.lSu ms<sn| b.ekaùu isÿflfrkjd' m<uq yd fojk jirj,§ YsIH WmfoaYkd;aul jevigyka l%shd;aul lrkjd' fuys§ isiqka 6 - 7 fokd ne.ska lKavdhï l¾udka;hl fcHIag úOdhl ks<Odßfhl= uqK.eiS l¾udka;h ms<sn| ±kqu ,nd .kakjd' isõjk jir isiqkag

jD;a;Sh ud¾f.damfoaYk l|jqrla ixúOdkh lrkjd' f;jk jir isiqkag l¾udka;hl mqyqKq ld, iSudjla ,nd fokjd' fuys§ Tjqkag ;uy yelshdjka Tma kxjd.kAkg mq¿jka' tfiau ;uka W.;a kHdhd;aul ±kqï m%dfhda.slj l%shdjg kxjkak mq¿jka' fufu ld,h udi 06 la' l¾udka;h wod< l<ukdlrefjl= uÕska isiqkaj wOSCIKh lrkjd' úYaj úoHd,fhka WmfoaYkh ,nd fokjd' Tjqkaf.a ld¾h idOkh u; iuyr isiqka tu wdh;k j,g /lshdj,g wkqhqla; lr .kakjd'

Careers

On-shore and off-shore jobs available in the Shipping Industry

Position

Job Responsibility

Qualification

Experience

Salary

Engineering Manager

To control and coordinate all engineering activities within the container terminal and provide technical support to all engineering personnel

Engineering HND. or Equivalent (Mechanical, Electrical or Multidisciplinary) Desirable- Engineering Degree

Minimum 7 years

4000 USD

Engineering Superintendents

To ensure that engineering personnel conduct all work in accordance with site and company safety procedures and regulations

Engineering HND or Equivalent (Mechanical, Electrical or Multidisciplinary) Desirable- Engineering Degree

Preferably 3-5 years in similar role

3000 USD

Operations Superintendents

To control and coordinate the day to day activities within the container terminal

Ensure that the terminal operates at its optimum potential

Qualifications in Nautical Science / Port Management to H.N.C level or higher

Preferably 3-5 years in similar role within the port environment or minimum 5 years sea going experience on container vessels

2500 USD

Port Engineer

Analyze all engineering parts of the tug & barge for defects/ maintenance

Have served an engineering apprenticeship

At least 5 years experience

Tug Skipper

To maintain overall command of the tug in all aspects of navigation and towing operations Certificate of competency (Class IV) with a command endorsement or equivalent E.U. Certificate

At least 2 years experience as a harbour tug master or 2 year inhouse training at a Dry-dock

900 USD

Inspector - Senior Quality Controller

Inspection, verification, monitoring and control of projects Quality Control activities

University Degree or Diploma in relevant field or industrial experience

Three years inspection experience in a shipyard, oil & gas industry, or related field

900 USD

Foreman - Machinist

Machining job such as lathe, drilling, milling, boring machines etc

Technical school, which last at least I year. Acadamic period of one year

Practical work in similar field for at least 7 years

700 USD

Technician

Guides the repair teams in accordance with repair process, safety instructions & changing requirements of the work place

Engineering HND n Mechanical or related disciplines

Min. 3 years of work experience in a relevant position

600 USD

2500 USD

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Careers

Maritime Services

Sector

Sub category Ship operation, chartering and support services (towing/ salvaging/ anchor handling/ tugs operations)

Specialisation Navigation

Engine Room

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

Position

Job Description

Qualifications/ experience required

Salary

Promotional prospects and career options

Captain/ Master

Representative of the Company, superseding all other ranks on board of ship. Responsible for safety of vessel, all personnel on board, cargo and equipment, in all conditions and circumstances

Class 1 exam, 10 years of experience

Rs. 800,000 to Rs. 1,000,000

Chief Officer

Responsible for cargo of the ship

Class 2 exam

Above Rs. 200,000

With Class 1 exam and adequate experience, can rise to the level of Captain

2nd Officer, Navigation

Officer in charge of a navigation watch.

Maintain and correct all navigational charts and publications. Prepare passage plans. Maintains bridge navigational equipment. Reports to Captain

Class 2 exam

Above Rs. 200,000

DO

3rd Officer, Navigation

Officer in charge of a navigation watch.

Inspects and maintains fire fighting and life saving appliances. Reports to Captain

Class 3 exam, 3 years experience

Up to Rs. 200,000

DO

Deck Cadet

On the job training to become a Deck Officer. Assists in navigation, cargo handling and ballasting operations

Cadet training, AL pass or foundation course

Allowances*

DO

Deck Seaman

Look out and helmsman on the bridge.

Keeps gangway and cargo watches.

Attends to maintenance work on hull, superstructure, deck machinery, cargo holds and ballast tanks

Seaman training, OL

Rs. 88,000.00 (appx.)

DO

Chief Engineer

In charge of Engine Department.

Responsible to Captain and company for safe and efficient operations, maintenance of all propulsion, auxiliary machineries on board

Class 1 exam, 10 years of experience

Rs. 500,000 or more

2nd Engineer Officer

Directly responsible to Chief Engineer for day to day running of Engine Department. Carries out all maintenance and repair work of all machineries on board

Class 2 exam, 5 years of experience

Rs. 300,000

With Class 1 exam and adequate experience, can rise to the level of Chief Engineer

Careers

Sector

Sub category

Specialisation

Shipping Related Services

Port Services

Cafeteria

Port management, port development, customs services

Liner/ agency representation

Port based offices

Ashore/ port based

Ship chandling/ bunkering

Ashore/ port based

Additional services

Land based (offices of cargo surveyors, ship brokers, classifiers, lawyers, etd)

Position

Job Description

Qualifications/ experience required

Salary

Promotional prospects and career options

3rd Officer, Engine Room

Engineer in charge of a watch.

Class 3 exam, Responsible for maintenance of 5 years of machinery as assigned by Chief Engineer experience

Up to Rs. 300,000

DO

Engine Room Cadet

On the job training to become an Engineering Officer. Assist at engine room by watch keeping, operations and maintenance of machineries

Cadet training, AL or foundation course

Rs. 75,000

Can progress based on performance at exams and experience

Engine Room Seaman

Keeps Engine Room Watch. Assist with maintenance and repair work in all machineries

Seaman training, OL

Rs. 50,000

DO

Chief Cook

Responsible to Captain for efficient running of Catering Department

Suitable catering qualification

Rs. 150,000

Assistant Cook

Assist the Chief cook for food preparations, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene and stock control

Suitable catering qualification

Rs. 75,000

Can rise to the level of Chief Cook

Steward

Attends to needs of Ship's Officers, sets tables, serves meals and cleans officer's quarters and public spaces

Rs. 50,000

Can rise to the level of Chief Cook

Port Manager

Management of vessel and cargo operations

Suitable degree with 10 years of experience

Rs. 50,000

Can become Senior Manager/ Director

Engineer

Design/ construction of ports

Qualified engineer with 10 years of experience

Rs. 100,000

Can become Director

Customs Officer

Supervision of imports/ exports

Customs Officers' exams

Rs. 40,000

Can rise through the hierarchy of Customs Department

Agency/ Shipping Manager

Port related agency work

Ship brokers' exams and experience

Rs. 75,000

Can become Senior Manager/ Director.

Ship Planner

Ship planning

Class 2 exam with 5 years of experience

Rs. 150,000

Can become Senior Manager/ Director

Operations Maneger/ Eexcutives

Management of vessel operations

5 years of experience

Rs. 50,000

Can become Senior Manager/ Director

Bunker Manager

Provision of bunkers to ships

5 years of experience

Rs. 50,000

Suppies Manager

Provision of supplies to ships

5 years of experience

Rs. 50,000

Surveyors

Quantity/ quality based surveys

Class 2 exam with 5 years of experience/ surveyors registered with Chamber

Rs. 75,000 - 150,000

Can become Head of Surveys

Ship Brokers

Finding cargo/ tonnage for clients

Ship brokers' exams and experience

Rs. 100,000

Can become Head of Chartering

Maritime lawyers

Specilaise in maritime law/ disputes, actions in REM

Qualified lawyers with experience

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Nurturing Quality

Professionals and Future Leaders APIIT Sri Lanka was established over a decade ago in partnership with APIIT Malaysia and Staffordshire University, UK and, with the objective of promoting quality and diversity in higher education through global partnerships. APIIT has been successful in winning the confidence of the public as the leader in high quality tertiary education in Sri Lanka.

The quality of education is the outcome of seamless integration of several spheres of activity including selection of appropriate programmes, effective teaching, and provision of outstanding resources, creation

Marine Insurance

Freight Forwarding

Logistics/ Off Dock

Sector

22

Sub category Warehousing

Custom clearance

Specialisation Warehouse/ Storage/ Container Depot

Land based

Land based.

Insurer/ broker companies

EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

Position

of a supporting academic environment and value system, and efficient management. To put it in a nutshell, the British degree programmes are selected and appropriately modified to suit the Sri Lankan context; the faculty is recruited on the basis of qualifications and competence in teaching; the resources provided for teaching/ learning are of international standard and create an environment conducive to the pursuit of knowledge; and finally, APIIT is managed by educationalists with extensive experience in all aspects of higher education.

Job Description

APIIT now offers the largest choice of internal British Degree programmes in Sri Lanka in the fields of Computing, Applied IT, Management and Law. These degrees are exclusively from Staffordshire University, which is one of the top universities in the UK for business management, computing and legal studies.

Students can either complete the entire degree programme in Sri Lanka or transfer to an affiliated university either in the UK or in Australia in order to complete the programme, and thus forming part of an international collaboration in cross border education.

Qualifications/ experience required

Salary

Logistics Executive, Warehouse Manager, Warehouse Assistant

Liner agency representation, procurement of services, supply chain management, transportation/ fleet management

Suitable trade skills, experience

Rs. 50,000 and above

Drivers, Equipment Operators

Operation of trucks, cranes, folk lifts, cargo handling, stuffing/ destufing, container storage

Suitable trade skills, experience

Rs. 50,000 and above

Sales Officers Warf Clerks

Involved with inward/ outward movement of cargo from a port

Suitable degree/ professional course

Rs. 40,000 and above

Insurance of cargo, ship (hull, machinery, etc)

Suitable degree/ professional course

Rs. 40,000 and above + commissions

Promotional prospects and career options

Careers

National Vocational Qualification (NVQ)

Vocational qualifications leading to gainful employment

By Prabath Fernando

The dream of every aspiring youth of this country is to enter the national university system after passing the Advance Level exam and obtain a recognized degree qualification. But only a small fraction of the student population get the chance to fulfill this dream and the vast majority of those who sit for the Advance Level examination will go out of the school not having a proper career path to follow.

Equally higher percentage of students drops out of school after doing Ordinary Level examination or even before that.

The best option available for the school leavers who do not get a chance to obtain a higher education qualification is to obtain a proper vocational training qualification which would allow them to obtain gainful employment and would also allow them to climb up the career ladder after gaining the required experience. Even for those who directly enter the job market after leaving school due to various reasons, it is very important to obtain a proper vocational qualification to improve their employability.

There are many avenues taken by the youth leaving school who do not gain eligibility to enter to the national university system to further their career aspirations. Some of these students enter local or foreign higher education institutes based on their qualifications and affordability of the corresponding course.

But vast majority of those who complete school education either enter the job market directly or move into some form of vocational training before getting into the job market. But the main obstacle faced by the Sri Lankan youth is the lack of a properly recognized framework for the vocational qualifications in the country and also the lack of information about the available training courses and the institutes that offer these qualifications.

In developed countries and even in most of the developing countries, it is mandatory to poses a vocational qualification for a person to engage in a given filed of work. This has a direct relevance to any person who is planning to obtain employment abroad as a skilled worker because most of these jobs require a vocational qualification as a mandatory requirement. With the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim

of reducing the number of people going abroad for unskilled jobs like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;housemaidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and increasing the number of skilled workers, it is very important to open more avenues for vocational training and generate a large pool of skilled workers in the country.

One major problem faced by anyone wanting to obtain a vocational qualification is the lack of proper information about the available vocational training courses and the information about the training institutes that offer these qualifications. On the other hand, the employers are also in the dark when recruiting candidates with vocational qualifications and the required standards. To address the above concerns, the government has introduced the National Vocational Qualification system, NVQ in short to formally introduce

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23

Careers a framework for awarding vocational training qualifications. This framework is introduced by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission in collaboration with all Government Technical Education and Vocational Training Institutes. NVQ system is nationally and internationally recognized and similar systems are already in practice in many of the developed and even developing countries.

The NVQ system consists of seven levels starting from entry level going up to the planning level. Any person obtaining the entry level qualification can go up the ladder of NVQ system by acquiring the required experience and passing each level of the qualification. The most important point to remember is that one can obtain a degree equivalent qualification at the highest level by climbing through the NVQ qualification ladder. Therefore, any youth finishing the school education without getting selected for the national university system still has a path open to obtain the highest possible qualification in their respective fields.

The first 4 levels of the NVQ framework are categorized as craftsmanship where the level 4 is recognized as master craftsman. The levels 5 and 6 are equivalent to diploma and higher diploma respectively. These two levels typically correspond to supervisory and managerial roles in the job market. The final level, which is level 7, is compatible to a Degree qualification and is offered by a Vocational & Technical University (UNIVOTEC).

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The introduction of the NVQ system will definitely help to create a globally competitive workforce in Sri Lanka. This will not only train a workforce with the necessary industry specific skills but also make them more employable locally and internationally. If Sri Lanka can send more and more skilled workers abroad, we should be able to reduce the number of people going for unskilled jobs specially the housemaids and avoid the negative social impacts associated with that. More importantly, a skilled workforce will be able to bring in much more foreign exchange than the unskilled workers.

There are many avenues taken by the youth leaving school who do not gain eligibility to enter to the national university system to further their career aspirations One of the important aspects of the NVQ framework is the Competency Based Training (CBT) that is used to train individuals for a specific NVQ level. For every occupation covered by the NVQ system, a National Skills Standard is

drafted with the help of industry experts from the corresponding field. This process is managed by the National Industrial Training Advisory Committee, which is under the NAITA. All these processes make sure that the NVQ system is always kept in pace with the latest developments in each industry.

NVQ certifications can also be obtained without following a formal training course. This route of obtaining NVQ certification is called Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). This route facilitates to obtain NVQ those who have already acquired their knowledge and competencies through some other means either formal or informal. This would enable those who are already employed with a set of skills to obtain a proper qualification to go with their skills.

There are many government organizations conducting vocational training courses leading to NVQ certifications including National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, Vocational Training Authority, National Youth Service Council and Technical College of Department of Technical Education and Training. In addition to the government institutes, there are many private and NGO sector institutions that conduct courses accredited to issue NVQ certification. When a person is registering for a vocational training course, it is really important to check whether the course is accredited as an NVQ qualification.

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

25

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

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—uu lsisu fohla wyïfnka lf<a ke;' tfiau uf.a fidhd.ekSï ish,a, isÿjQfha wyïfnka fkdfõ' is;d jevlsÍfïks'˜

tâika EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

27

HR

Possible impending crisis in the

Tourism Industry Much has been written, debated and publicized about the meteoritic growth in tourism in post war Sri Lanka. Whatever the case may be, there is no doubt that in the short /medium term Sri Lanka is going to show strong growth in tourism. With HE the President setting an ambitious goal of 2.5 million tourists by the year 2016, and the rich peace dividends that the tourism industry in particular is reaping today, everyone seems to be jumping on the ‘tourism band wagon’. According to reports there are some 34 new tourism hotel projects in the pipeline amounting to an additional 3500 or more rooms, while another 1200 or so, are now already under construction, that will come on stream soon.

Unlike in other industries, the informal sector serving the tourism industry is very large. There are a wide range of peripheral service providers such as guides, chauffeurs, ticketing agents, travel agents, transport providers, etc who come in contact with visitors and play an important role in the supply chain. All these service providers also have to be trained and developed, if Sri Lanka Tourism is to continue to retain its competitive edge.

Late last year the government requested the private sector to present their views on the future of Sri Lanka Tourism, and a document titled “The Way Forward ……

Private Sector Perspective” was developed and presented to the government.

Hence, while everyone is scurrying around trying to develop infrastructure and build more hotel rooms, this critical HR factor is a hidden issue that will soon mushroom up into a great crisis later on, if not addressed immediately.

By Srilal Miththapala

While certainly a warm smile is always welcome, in today’s competitive climate, on its own, the smile is not adequate.

Travelers need high quality and efficient service standards, which no amount of ‘hospitality’ alone can substitute for. Hence hospitality today has to be tempered and augmented with good professionalism as well.

Hence, the bottom line is that from a current direct and indirect employment figure of about 220,000 persons, the number will have to reach over 1 million by 2016. By any yardstick, quadrupling the employment over 4 years is a huge challenge.

The key highlights of this analysis is given below 2009

2011 Short Term

2019 Medium Term

Arrivals

447,890

754,518

2,377,223

Rooms

14,793

15,533

26,356

9.2

8.0

6.0

42%

50%

68%

77

91

171

Average stay Occupancy Per Night spends USD Annual earnings Min USD Total Direct and Indirect employment Total No. Dependants on Tourism (4 per family) As a % of population

While the actual number of rooms required to meet the 2016 influx, might vary somewhat depending on the market mix that is being targeted, the fact of the matter is that total direct and indirect employment in the tourism industry will easily surpass 1 million, if we even get close to these targets in 2016. Currently only about 55,000 people are directly employed in the industry, while at least another three times as much are employed in the informal sector, making a total of about 220,000 persons employed, directly or indirectly in the industry.

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427

552

2,433

304,800

383,595

1,419,238

1.2Mn

1.5Mn

5.6Mn

5.7%

7.4%

26.4%

While certainly building hotel rooms and infrastructure requires time, training and development of proper staff for the tourism industry also definitely takes time.

Given the competitive nature of today’s tourism industry, quality training and professionalism of staff will have a major impact on the competitiveness of the destination.

Hospitality vs Professionalism One serious error that the Sri Lankan tourism industry makes is mixing up ‘hospitality’ with ‘service professionalism’.

Pix by: Srilal Miththapala

We also are burdened with the ‘mediocre is acceptable mentality’. Very often we make do with less than perfection, accepting lower service levels, and not striving to deliver the best. The concepts Do it right first time (DRIFT) and Quality Always on Time (QuAT) are often alien to the service industry (in general) in Sri Lanka.

Quality and Quantity Training and development of staff for the tourism trade is a complex task, particularly in a Sri Lankan context. It is not only job skills that needs to be developed and inculcated, but professionalism also has to be ‘taught’. E.g. In more developed countries basic on the job skills training is the only input required, where, very often one finds students working as temporary hands in the professional areas of the tourism industry during rush periods (as in Banquets). However, there is a large cultural divide in what is perceived as service quality in an affluent western culture, compared with what the average Sri

HR Lankan suburban and village population thinks. This means that one has to often provide not only on the job skills training, but also training in fundamental grooming and cleanliness skills as well. How often do we see waiters, even in 5 star hotels in Colombo, with dirty collars, crooked bowties, dirty finger nails, body odour etc.

This is no fault of theirs, nor is it anything derogatory- it is just that the average person in Sri Lanka would not know how to wear a tie properly, nor be particularly mindful of being well groomed and well-manicured. Our culture also does not drive the quality ethic in our day to day work. Getting it right the first time is often not considered important, and re-work is often the norm.

So, therefore grooming, training and developing proper tourism service professionals will take time.

Current Tourism Education in Sri Lanka Currently we have only the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) as the only national level tourism educational institute in Sri Lanka. That too is currently in a state of decline, where the quality of education needs substantial improvement.

The SLITHM Colombo School and its 5 satellite schools together, has been producing only around 1,500 students biannually, but this year the intake has risen to 2,150 due to higher demand. There are also several mushroom private entities strewn around Colombo and other major cities which offer so called ‘courses’ in tourism. They are not regulated, and like most of the other private tutouries, are of very mediocre standard, except for a very few. There are also National Universities such as Uva Wellassa and Sabaragamuwa which conduct degree courses in tourism.

In each batch, of these 4 year duration courses, there would not be more than 30 – 40 students which means that the output from this channel will also be negligible.

In any event, most of these graduates will have to fill higher level positions such as in strategic planning, and not at the front end of customer contact.

Hence, it is obvious that these few establishments, and the SLITHM will be unable to produce the required numbers, let alone the quality required.

This is indeed a alarming situation. much arithmetic to of the problem.

very serious, sad and It does not take too realize the enormity Given the current

maximum intake (and eventual output) of about 4,300 students per year from the SLITHM, it will take more than 100 years to produce the extra staff required for the industry! Even if we were to add another 1,500 per year from the mushroom private tutories, it will still take over 80 years!

The Tourism Industry as a Career During the past few decades Sri Lanka Tourism was unable to attract good quality young people in to the industry because it was perceived that the tourism industry did not have any future. During my tenure as Board member of the SLITHM, a few years ago I did a survey of the new intake for the certificate and intermediate courses and found that in some instances, the number of applicants were, even less than the total number of places available for the course (no demand for the study courses). More alarmingly, almost all the students who had applied had done so as a last resort, having exhausted all other avenues of education such as Engineering, Marketing, Accountancy, IT, etc.

However, with the meteoric rise of tourism immediately after the war, there is tremendous interest and enthusiasm for the tourism industry.

Suddenly, almost overnight the tourism industry has been transformed into a vibrant and exiting industry, perceived as being able in providing lucrative career opportunities for young people. The industry has dramatically changed from a relatively low wage paying industry, to a medium wage paying one. Today the service charge alone, (which is paid over and above the basic salary) is exceeding Rs.25, 000 per month in almost all the city hotels, and several resorts as well.

SLITHM and its satellite schools Certificate level courses

1,524

Craft level courses

512

Management Diploma courses

42

Intermediate level courses

32

Advance level courses

32

Total

2,142

It is interesting to note that there is a relatively large interest seen from the provinces.

For the craft level courses, the intake at the Koggala satellite school (32%) and Ratnapura schools (29%) are in the same order of that of Colombo ( 39%).

In the case of certificate courses, while Colombo is still the highest ( 30%), the schools of Koggala ( 20 % ) and Kandy ( 22%) are not too far behind.

Also it is quite intriguing to note that tourism studies seems to be the most popular in the deep south where the Certificate Level Intake Institutions

The Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) This interest level is clearly reflected in this year’s intake to the SLITHM. I am told that there were over 600 applications vying for not more than 80 places for some courses.

Craft Level Intake – Institutions

The SLITHM currently offers several courses of study. There is the Craft Level, practical oriented training, in cookery, food and beverage, front office and house keeping operations.

In the same fields, there is a higher level course at Certificate Level, which leads to the Intermediate, and subsequently Advanced level of studies. There is also a separate 3- year Management Diploma.

The intake for 2011 is as follows;

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HR Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel is Sri Lanka's National Mobile services provider. Since being acquired by Sri Lanka Telecom in 2002, it has grown in leaps and bounds and is now on par technologically with the very latest in the Sri Lankan telecommunications industry.

Mobitel is the first mobile operator to launch super 3.5G HSPA technology in South Asia.

Whilst positioning the customer at the centre always, through the delivery of optimum quality of service, higher levels of customer care, convenience and interaction, the company expanded its distribution channels and introduce a divisional infrastructure to optimize channel management.

The company is in the process of upgrading its network to a Next Generation Network, and is poised to assume a lead role in bringing cutting edge mobile technology that would inevitably help shape the next ICT led technological development phase of Sri Lanka. With a strategy of 'value innovation', the Mobitel customer always wins. We believe that technology for its own sake

is meaningless, and foster an organizational culture that focuses on Customer Centricity. This philosophy which is a way of life at Mobitel has enabled us to build long lasting relationships with our Customers. The features and benefits built into the Innovative packages that we offer are all designed carefully with our customer's best interest at heart, because "We Care Always". This has enabled us to achieve phenomenal results.

Mobitel is now in a unique position as the 'National' mobile service provider and has positioned itself to be in the vanguard of the mobile telephony sector. From here, we will continue to offer even more value to the most important person on our horizon: our customer.

EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

total intake ( of both craft and certificate courses) for the Koggala school amounts to 441 , which is about 22 % the total.

This may be attributed to the fact that the southern coast of Sri Lanka (where the largest numbers of hotel rooms are found) has maximum exposure to the tourism industry.

Reverse Brain Drain No doubt with the recent success of tourism industry, we are beginning to see a gradual reverse brain rain. From a total of 266,445 Sri Lankan expatriate workers, currently only a meager 20% constitute the skilled level labour force, while the rest is the poor, lowly paid house maids, regarding whom, the less is said, the better.

Even if we assume that about 35% of this skilled expatriate labour force is attached to the Tourism Industry, it would mean that only a minuscule 25,180 Sri Lankan Tourism staff is currently working abroad. Even if all of them were to return to Sri Lanka, it will in no way help meet the demand.

How to meet the demand?

So what then is the solution? Hire expatriate staff from other Asian countries?

Currently we have only the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) as the only national level tourism educational institute in Sri Lanka This could be a bitter pill to swallow, but there certainly exists the possibility of obtaining suitable staff from countries such as Bangladesh, Philippines and Indonesia. Some of these countries do have a reasonable good level of spoken English and as well as good level of education and training. (I recollect many years ago visiting Bangladesh on business, and found out to my amusement that the Bell Captain of the five star hotel I stayed in, had a MBA qualification!)

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The other more logical path to follow is to strengthen private tourism education system instead of shutting it out of the main stream. The state can regulate the policy and standardize tourism courses through the SLITHM and provide a curriculum base for private tourism education institutions to follow in training and developing staff. The SLITHM can however, still continue to be the national level examining and certifying body.

Simultaneously, other foreign tourism educational institutes must be encouraged to set up education and training institutes in Sri Lanka. However, in this context one must guard against dilution or modification to the service delivery and hospitality ethos of Sri Lanka. One of Sri Lanka’s strong unique selling propositions, (USP) is our warmth and genuine hospitality. No amount of growth should be allowed to in anyway damage this. However, “high tech” the industry may become, it will always remain a “high touch” industry, and in this context, training, development and education in the tourism industry must always retain the local cultural flavour, and it should not be allowed to be superimposed with alien forms.

The writer is a senior tourism professional, and a former Chief Executive Officer of a star class hotel chain and immediate past President of Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka. He is presently the Project Director of the Greening Hotels SWITCH ASIA project of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

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ir<j ;uka f.jk ,o ;;amr yegl ld,h m%fhdackj;aj f.jd t<fUk úkdähl ld,h .ek j.lSfuka Tng is;sh yels kï todg Tn udkj iïm;la ù yudrh'

Bg;a jvd Tn todg kshu ñksfil= ù wjikah

wOHdmk ixia:djl uQ,sl wruqK úh hq;af;a" fláfhkau olajf;d;a mßmQ¾K mqoa.,hka ìyslsÍuhs' kuq;a Y%S ,xflah wOHdmk rgdfõ mj;sk W!ks; ;;a;ajhka yuqfõ" tlS ikao¾Nhg wjYHh mqoa.,hka ckkh fkdlrk w;r" ú/lshd W;amdokh tys w;=re M,hla ù yudrh' fujka ikao¾Nhla ;=< fláfhka úuid n,kqfha wOHdmk wruqKq yd M,h w;r mj;sk mriamrh we;slsÍfuys ,d fya;=jk uQ,sl lreKqh' Y%S ,dxldfõ m%d:ñl wOHdmkh wksjd¾hh wx.hla jk neúka" orejd jhi wjqreÿ my muK jkúg iqmsß mdi,la fj; we;=,;a lsÍug W;aiy orK fouõmsfhda iy wOHdmk m%;sm;a;s iïmdolfhda wjidk ksIamdokh ms<sn| lkiai¨ fkdfj;s' tkï meyeÈ,s b,lalhka fj; fhduq jQ wOHdmksl l%uhla ;=<" úYaj úoHd, wOHdmkfhka miqj jqjo /lshdjka i|yd wjYHh jk wjfYaI idCIr;djhka tkï mß>kl" bx.%Sis jeks idCIr;djhka ,nd .ekSfï hqyqiq¿ fkdfj;s' tfukau —rcfha /lshdjla˜ muKla ,nd .; hq;=h hk miq.dó is;=ú,a, ;=< isrù isák úoHd¾:hska ljod fyda rch úiska /lshd ,nd fokq we;ehs hk Wml,amkh u; msysgd ish Wmdêh ksjfiau ;ndf.k isá;s' bka ;udg fyda wfkldg jk M, m%fhdackhla fkdjk w;r" by; lS mriamrhka ckkh lsÍfuys,d fuh úIhla jkq we;' fuysÈ úfYaIfhkau wjOdkh fhduqlrk ,enqfha úYaj úoHd,fhkaa ìyslrkq ,nk udkj yd iudc úoHd¾:hska ms<sn|jhs' tkï Tjqkaf.a wdl,amhkays mj;sk idñm%odhsl nj mj;sk iudchSh ;;a;ajhkag wkq.; fkdùfï yd tajd yUd fkdhk fï ;;a;ajh úIo lrjhs' ;jo Y%S

,xflah isiqjdj YsIag iïmkak lrkQfha fm!oa.,sl mßuKav,h ;=< msysgd lghq;= lsÍug úkd fmdÿ mßuKav,h ;=< .Kqfokq lsÍug fkdjk w;r" bka ìysjk udkj yd iudchSh wjYHh;dj,g fukau wejeis úg§ iudchSh ixfYdaOkhkag wduka;%Kh lrkafka ke;' ;jo rfÜ mj;sk wOHdmk m%;sm;a;s" mqoa., mßl,amkhka fukau ks¾udK YS,S;ajhka wyqrd oud ;sîu fmrlS mriamrhkag lreKQ imhhs' ta mka;sfha fyd|u isiqjd —ksYaYío;u <uhd˜ hehs kshuhla f.dv ke.Su ;=<sks' tfyhska oaú;shsl fyda ;D;shsl wOHdmkh ksulrk mqoa.,hd .uka lrkafka fldhsngo hkak úuid ne,Sug yd Tjqkag .uka lsÍug bv ,nd Èh hq;= ld,hhs' fï fuys§ mßl,amkh mqo.,hd <Õ lr.; hq;= fohla jk w;r" i;;dNHdih mßl,amkh ms<sn| yelshdj Okd;aul lrjhs' fï ish,a, wkqj fmkShkafka wOHdmkh yd wfkla ish¨ wxY yryd udkjhd udkj iïm;la njg m;aùfï udj; wyqrd we;s njhs' ;uka ,nkafka l=ukdldrfha wOHdmkhla fyda fõjd wOHdmk lafI;%fha jákdlu fld;rï fyda fõjd th iïm;a ckkhg Ndú;d úh hq;=h' ta i|yd udkj Ôú;hg" ixúOdkd;aul Ndjh" ie<iqï iy.; Ndjh" b,lal iy.; Ndjh iy úplaIKYs,s Ndjh w;HdjYHh' tajd wOHdmkfhka muKla ,nd.; fkdyelsh ;uka okak foa wNHdi l< hq;=h' yeu fudfyd;lu wNHdifha fhÈh hq;=h' tu wNHdifha ;rugu udkjhd ;=< ksOka.;j mj;sk ish¨ ksi¾. yelshdjka t<shg meñK f,dalhg Tyq ke;sju neß udkj iïm;la njg mßj¾;kh lsÍug iu;a úh yelsh'

mßuKav,fha" mßl,amk mka;sh ;SrKd;aul jk ;rugu udkjhd yd udkj is;sú,s iïm;la njg mßj¾;kh fõ' tajd u;ska bkamiq ks¾udKh jkafka woaú;sh udkj iïm;ls' tu udkj iïm; ksr;=rej b,lal lrkafka f;dard.; yels" ueksh yels" <Õúh yels" h:d¾:jd§" ld,hla kS¾Kh l< yels b,lal j,g muKs' (Smart Goals) túg ksoyia udkjhd iïm;la ù yudrh' Tyq kshu l<uKdlrefjl= njg ksrka;rju m;afõ' ´kEu wfhl=g u; m<l< yelsh' woyia bÈßm;a l< yelsh' tfy;a m%dfhda.sl úiÿï bÈßm;a l< fkdyelsh' jeäfhka u; m<lrkafkda l%shdfjys fkdfhfo;s' TjQyQ udkj iïm;a fkdjk w;ru úpdrYS,so fkdfj;s' kshu l<ukdlrejd YlH;d y÷kdf.k ;u odhl;ajh yryd fiajlhd kshu uyg fufyhjkq ñia Wmfoia muKla ,ndfokafkla fkdfõ' tfiakï udkjhd" iïm;la njg mßj¾;kh lsÍfï ld¾hNdrfha Ndrÿru fldgi we;af;a mßmd,kh i;=jh' udkjfhl= f,i ñksi;alu .ek is;kak' fjfyfikak' f,dalh fjkia lsÍug fmr f,dalh fjkia lsÍug bf.k .kak' Ôú;fha fndrejg yd wj,dohg ysi fkdkukak' tfy;a ksjerÈ l< fkdyelskï Tn jrÈka .e,fjkak' ks;ru rcqka iuÕ yeisfrñka uyck;dj iuÕ jdih lrkak' ,o foa .ek fkdis;d ,eîug yelsfoa .ek is;kak' ir<j ;uka f.jk ,o ;;amr yegl ld,h m%fhdackj;aj f.jd t<fUk úkdähl ld,h .ek j.lSfuka Tng is;sh yels kï todg Tn udkj iïm;la ù yudrh' Bg;a jvd Tn todg kshu ñksfil= ù wjikah EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

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udkj iïm;a

udkj whs;sjdislï iy

;reKhka ukSId tia' jkisxy meial=j,a rgla jYfhka YS% ,xldjg mYapd;a hqO rdcHlg m%;s,dN we;s lrk yrhka m%idrKh l< hq;=j we;' fï ixo¾Nh ;=< YS% ,xlSl ;dreKHh fyd|u iïm;aa iïmdokh lrk w;r úêu;a" wúêu;a ks,fkdjk wOHdmkh u.ska ,xldfõ ;reKhkag fydou ud¾.hla myÞ fohs' iduh wdrlaId lsÍfï udj; u.ska iudch udkj whS;ska wdrlaId lrk iy .re lrk iudchla njg m;afõ' fï ksid iu wOHdmkh úêu;a" wúêu;a iy ks, fkdjk wxYhka b,lal lrf.k we;' flfia fj;;a fuu ,smsh b,lal lr .kafka ks, wxYhhs' YS% ,xldfõ ;reKhka rfÜ Yla;sh fõ' wjidkjlg" NsIKfha iDKd;aul n,mEu rfÜ ish¨ mqrjeishkag n,md ;sfí' iuyreka iDcqju f.dÿre njg m;aúh' iuyre jl%ldrj n,mEug ,laúh' m%pKav;ajh w;f¾ Ôj;a ùu hkq úYajdih m,qÿ ùuh' wdrlaIdj ms<sn| yeÕSu fkdue;sùuh' wmrdO j,g ìh we;s úuh wkd.;h ms<sn| wia:djr njh' ksoyi iuyr wdldrj,ska wvq ùuh' m%pKav;ajh flfrys we;s yeÕSu ±ä ùuh' fuh hqoaOh wjidk ùfuka ál l,la hk ;=reo mj;S' fuu wiudk ixialD;sh mßj¾;kh lsÍfïÈ ixialD;sl" jHqyd;dul" foaYmd,ksl iy wd¾Ól ixfõ§;dj wjYH fõ' wef;kau" mj;akd m%pKav ixialD;sh udkj whs;sjdislï wdrlaIdlrk ixialD;shla njg mßj¾;kh lsÍfïÈ Ys% ,xldjg wOHdmkh fuj,ula f,i Ndú;d lsÍu wjYHh' (http://www.moe. gov.lk/) YS% ,xldfõ iudc ip,;dj we;s lSÍfï m%Odk ksfhdað;hd wOHdmkh jk w;r úNd. iu;a ùu muKla fuhg m%udKj;a fkdfõ' id$fm<" W$fm< úNd.hkag uqyqK foñka isák ,dxlSh ;reKhka th ;=< udkj whs;sjdislï wOHdmkh fkdue;s ùu ksid wjYH ±kqu wdl,am iy yrhka w;am;a lr fkd.kS' 2005§" ,xldfõ ck.ykfhka 95%la idCIr;djfhka hqla;h' fï .eyeKqkaf.ka 95]ls' msßñkaf.ka 97 ls' (UNESCO 2005 o;a;& ;ju;a" ;reKhkag ;u tosfkod Ôú;h ;=< fuu yrhka tla lSÍu wNsfhda.hla ù ;sfí'

,xldj ;=< wOHdmkh YS% ,xldfõ uOH.; wOHdmk flaIa;%h ;=< mokïj udkj whs;Ska W.kajk wOHdmkhla y÷kajd§ug W;aidy ±Íu

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

úisks

idOkh lreKls' wOHdmk`{hka úIh ud,d ie<iqï iy fm< fmd;a mdid,a" .=re wNHdi úoHd," wOHdmk wud;HxYh iy m%Odk úNd.hka mj;ajk Wiia wOHdmk wud;HdxYh i|yd ,shhs' udkj whs;sjdislï wOHdmkh jeks kj úIhla ,xldjg y÷kajd §ug ;SrK .ekSu ÿIalr lreKla njg m;aj ;sfí'

úêu;aa idu wOHdmkh YS% ,xldfõ ;reKhka udkj whs;sjdislï wdrlaId lsÍug lghq;= lrk Yla;su;a msßila njg m;a lsÍug fyd|u uÕ idu wOHdmkhhs' wef;kau fuu ,smsh ;rfha m%ldY lrkafka" mqoa., ixj¾Okh flfrys idu wOHdmkh uq,Sl wxYhla njg m;aúh hq;= njhs' m%Yapd;a hqO ixo¾Nh ;=<" fuu wNsfhda.h ls%hdjg kexfõh hk n,dfmdfrd;a;=jla ;sfí' tfiau fuh u.ska úpdrd;aul yd úYaf,aIKd;aul Ñka;khka ixj¾Okh lrkq we;' fuu idu wOHdmk ls%hdj,sh udkj whs;sjdislï ms<sn| ie,ls,su;a úh hq;=h' tfiau §.= ld,Skj th" m%pKav;ajh ms<sn| ixialD;sh mßj¾;kh lsÍug iyfhda.h Èh hq;=h' tfiau fuh m%Odk m%Yak 03 lg ms<s;=re iemhsh hq;=h'

1' b.ekaaúh hq;af;a ljqo @ úêu;a wOHdmk ieliqï ;=< isiqkg yrhka j.d lsrsu flfrys YslaIKh j¾Okh lsÍu ksjerÈj isÿlsÍug .=rejrekag b.ekaúh hq;=h' lsisÿ ie,lsh hq;= fjkialula ,xldfõ mdi,a wOHdmkfha ;sfnk YsCIKhkays we;s lsßug wmyiq jqj;a b.ekaùfï l%uh jvd;a ikaksfõok" wkqnoaO iy .=re flaka§h l%ufhka wE;a jq tlla njg m;aa lsßu jeo.;ah' .=rejrekag YsIHkag ffO¾h imhk WmfoaYlhka" YsIHkaf.a wOHdmksl w;a±lsï mq`:,a lrkakka njg m;a ùug b.ekaúh yelsh'

2' W.kajkafka ljqo @ jhi yf;a isg 12 olajd orejkag udkj whs;sjdislï yrhka jk fjk;a wd.ï" fjk;a NdIdjka iy fjk;a mqoa., oDIaàka ms<s.ekSug b.ekaúh hq;=h' ylqjqÜ iy Tmkayhsu^¾& i|yka lrk wdldrhg, fuh —wfkfHdakH f.!rjh" iudkd;au;dj iy úúO oDIaáka ms<s.ekSu jeks fmdÿ udkj wdl,am iys; iduh w;am;a lr.ekSug Wmhdud¾.hka fyda iduh ,nd.ekSfï yelshdj mq¾j wjYH;djka ixj¾Okhla f,i wkfHdkH pß;hla je<| .ekSu

wmyiq.ukh lrk˜ jhila njhs' ^Hakvoot and Oppenheimer, 1999: 60 &

3' W.kajkafka fudkjdo @ idu wOHdmkh yÿkajd §u m%fhdcksl l%ufjohla f,i oelsh yelsh' fuh wdrïNfha mgkau wkdrCIs; njla we;s lrhs' fuh úNd. b,lallr.;a wOHdmk l%uh ;=< we;s úYd, ld, igyk iuÕ wiSre fohla jkjd muKla fkdj" fuh Okd;aul úplaIK fkdjk fyhska ldjoaojkdjg jvd ixl,am kHdhka yd fuj,ï ms<sn|j isiqkag W.kajkq we;' ;j ÿrg;a" wOHdmk{hka fmdaIKh" mdßißl foaYmd,kh fyda ck.yk wOHhk jeks kj mdGud,d y÷kajd§ug jdo újdo mj;ajhs' wd¾Ól ixj¾Okh iy /lshdjkag we;s yelshdj b,lal lr .ekSu ms<sn| m%;sm;a;s iïmdolhkaf.a b,lalhka iuÕ mj;akd mdie,a úIh ud,djkag ;j;a úIhla tl;= lsÍug b,a,Su ÿIalr lghq;a;ls' ish¨ úIhka <uhksf.a ixj¾Okh i|yd jeo.;ah' fuu ;¾lh mj;sk úIh ud,djg idu wOHhkh we;=,a lSÍu i|ydhs' mj;akd ld, igyk wkqj mj;akd úIh ud,dfõ fldgila f,i th y÷kajd Èh hq;=h' úIh ndysr ls%hdldrlï f,i .egqï úi§u" ueÈy;a ùu iy fldamh l<ukdlrKh lSÍfï yelshdjka b.ekaúh yelsh' WÞyrKhla f,i m%d:ñl uÜgfï isg úi§u iy iyfhda.h b,lal lr.;a YsIH ls%hdldrlï ne.ska th isÿ l< yelsh' idu wOHhkh úIh ud,djg we;=<;a lsÍu b;d jeo.;a fõ' flfia fj;;a mj;akd úYd, yi, úIh ud,dfõ fjk;a úIhla f,i idu wOHdmkh y÷kajd §u wiSre ksid" idl,H úIh ud,dj ;=,ska b.ekaùu iqÿiqh' WÞyrKhla f,i rcjrekaf.a Wmf;a isg urKh olajd W.kajdu fjkqjg hqoaOhla we;sùug fya;=jk ;SrK .kakd ls%hdj,sh m%Yak lrk mdvï we;=<;a lsÍu l< yelsh' zzidufha .=rejrhdZZ f,i mDÓúh mdßißl j.lSï flfrys o¾YKhla imhk w;r NdIdj fyda idys;H Tjqka lshk foh l=ulao hkak yd th wfkldg lshkafka flfiao hkafkys n,mEu úYaf,aIKh lsÍug isiqkag Woõ lrhs' (McInnis, 1998:541) tfiau hqO ùrhkag jvd idufha ùrhka flfrys kdNs.; lsÍu isÿ l< yelsh'

EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

33

IT Savvy

THINK BIG – Work Smart A New Way for New Opportunities

By Shriwanthi Amarasinghe

If you have found yourself in a rut in terms of your career as of late, if you seem to no longer come to work with the same spring in your step as you did when you first started, or if you're simply bored with the seemingly mundane tasks that you go about every day, it may be time to give some serious thought to making a career shift.

However, when faced with this question, most people find it hard to arrive at a single answer. With the multitude of possibilities in the workforce today and more and more people are finding it hard to decide on what kind of job they would like to have.

You must be able to train yourself to be a forward-thinker. At this point in your career, if you were experiencing the feeling of being in a rut, it would be a good idea to make some realistic projections about your career. Hope this new field of computer science will help you to explore exciting new career opportunities available in the world.

Have you ever wondered what makes some Websites easier to use than others, or why some people seem to master new navigation systems quickly while others struggle to learn? Do you know why users get lost in electronic space or find it difficult to communicate with others through the medium of technology? These questions are just some of the driving forces behind research in the developing field of Human Computer Interaction. Human Computer Interaction is a term that you may or may not have heard. So let’s explore it. Human Computer Interaction, or HCI, is the study, planning, and design of what happens when you and a computer work together. As its name implies, HCI consists of three parts: the user, the computer itself, and the ways they work together.

Human Computer Interaction is an emerging trend in IT world. Why is HCI so important? It’s because “WE” the human beings use the computers. No matter how

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

brilliant the programmer is, if the software / applications he develops are not friendly enough to interact with people, it’s useless.

A number of world leading companies such as Samsung, Panasonic, Motorola, McGraw Hill, Lextant, Amazon Web Services LLC, SAIC, Audible Inc., Lokion Interactive, WellAWARE Systems are looking for HCI professionals as all most all of the companies do their business online or at least business promotions online and most importantly because their products interact with people.

If you seem to no longer come to work with the same spring in your step as you did when you first started, it may be time to give some serious thought to making a career shift

Job opportunities in the field of HCI • Human Factors / UI Experience Analyst • Interactive Experience Designer / Usability Consultant • Online User Experience Manager • Product User Experience Designer • Senior Enterprise User Interaction Designer • Senior/Usability/ Human Factors Engineer • Senior User Experience Architect • Senior User Experience Designer • Usability Associate • Usability Engineer • User Experience Architect User Experience Research Specialist • Director, User Insights & Usability (Web) Some of the qualifications you will need to join with the field of HCI • You have to be an innovator in the field, with game-changing ideas for the web, mobile, and user experience • Expected to have extraordinary visualization and modeling skills • Flexible thinking and the ability to master any software or hardware needed to solve a design problem and create any prototype is required • Substantial experience applying a usercentered design process, including user testing will an added qualification

INFORMATICS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (IIT)

WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

IIT proved through their recent success stories, that they turn out students who highly employable and widely recognized as the best in the field.

IIT has won a series of prestigious awards. The gold award was won at the National Best Quality Software Awards (NBQSA) by Mohomed Hamzeen, in the tertiary category. This is the second time in succession IIT won the Gold Award. Last year Lahiru Lakmal Priyadarshana, won the Gold award in the tertiary category, as well as the award for the Best Product developed using Open Source Tools for his iDisplay project. Another student of IIT Amani Soysa was awarded the Bronze award for her Chord a Tune project. Lahiru and Amani won these awards competing with the cream of software engineering students from more than five state universities and private institutes.

• Great communication skills, with neatly-packaged deliverables, clear design rationale, and a great ability to distill the key contributions in every design is preferred • Must have ability to initiate strong independent research and analysis, and work with your team to evolve those insights into a compelling form for technology transfer • Experience in product design for software applications, consumer electronics, appliances, and other interactive applications will be an advantage • Strong project management skills and ability to successfully manage/lead multiple projects concurrently.

Common responsibilities you have to undertake when you become a HCI professional

IIT offers the BSc(Hons) in Business Information Systems and The BEng(Hons) in Software Engineering degree, affiliated with the prestigious University of Westminster UK. IIT has an excellent campus environment, with a state of the art library and well equipped laboratories.

Their computing faculties are linked to the intranet of the University of Westminster, enabling students to access the digital library, lecture material and past papers.

The lecture panel comprises industry experienced lecturers who employ a diverse range of teaching strategies including case studies, video presentations and project work. These teaching methods are used to develop students' knowledge, skills and ability to identify and solve real world problems.

• Identify and implement a variety of methods for getting input and feedback from customers, including customer co-development methods, participatory design methods, diary studies, interviews, observational studies, online feedback mechanisms, focus groups (in-person and remote), card-sorting exercises, lab usability studies, online usability studies, remote usability studies, and others as appropriate.

• Manage, facilitate, analyze, and otherwise contribute to quantitative and qualitative audience research efforts including behavioral analytics, personas, surveys, interviews, stakeholder focus groups, and usability testing or whatever else it takes to understand what will delight the users for whom we design.

• Conduct primary user research to determine future directions for company websites.

• Works closely with existing teams, project managers, creatives and engineers through numerous stages of the product development cycle. Participates in all aspects of the product life cycle, from creation to implementation.

• Work closely with internal business clients to translate their business requirements into experiences our customers love.

• Design and develop breakthrough product prototypes for video displays, mobile, and other consumer electronics and appliances

• Produce 2D and 3D concept visualization, physical models, and rapid prototypes for software user interfaces and physical systems, including electronic and mechanical components • Creative brainstorming guided by forward-looking user needs and business needs, with an emphasis on a graceful and delightful user experience • Participate in analysis of User Experience findings, and assist in creating detailed evaluations and metrics to project managers.

• Participate in negotiation of adoption of critical usability recommendations.

• Plan, design and conduct usability evaluations of mid- to large-scale applications.

• Participate in initiatives that measure quality and productivity standards.

References:

www.hfcareers.com

www.howtodothings.com

www.sitepoint.com

(Article: - Human-Computer Interaction and

Your Site By Nicky Danino)

EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

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mßirh

mßir ys;ldó ixj¾Okhla lrd''' idú;s% rKisxy

mßir moaO;s iajNdúl jYfhka iu;=,;;djla mj;ajdf.k hk nj wms okakd lreKls¡ tneúka mßir moaO;s iïnkaOfhka b;d oeä wjOdkhla fhduq lrñka Èh;a lrk ixj¾Ok lghq;=j,ska by; lS iu;=,s;dj wdrËd lr.; yels w;r we;a; jYfhkau tfia l< hq;= fõ¡ ;j;a wdldrhlg olajkafka kï mßir ys;ldó ixj¾Ok jHdmD;s i|yd Wkkaÿ úh hq;=h¡ fN!;sl mßirfha úúO idOl tkï N+ñfha úIu;djh" mi" foaY.=Ksl idOl" fkdfhl=;a j¾.fha iïm;a" iajNdúl jkdka;r iy ffcj úúO;ajh hk ish¨u idOl wjOdkhg .ksñka mßir ys;ldñ ixj¾Okhla lrd ,Õd úh yelsh¡ fuu woyi › ,xldjg o fmdÿ fõ¡ jvd;a iqÿiq foa kï lsishï ixj¾Ok lghq;a;la lsishï mßirhlg wkqhqla; lsÍu fkdj mßirhg .e,fmk ixj¾Ok lghq;a; f;dard .ekSuh¡ fï wkqj › ,xldfõ fN!;sl mßirh flfrys wjOdkh fhduq l<fyd;a idOl .Kkdjlska iukaú; nj meyeÈ,sh¡ fuys§ thska idOl lsmhlg wjOkh fhduq flf¾¡ › ,xldfõ N+ úIu;d ,laIKh kï Èjhsfkys mßêh my;aìï j,skq;a l%ul%ufhka rg wNHhka;rh Wiaìï l,dmj,skq;a hqla; ùuh¡ idkq" ;eks;,d" fkre" fudfydr iy ksïk hkdÈ úúO N+ rEmk ,ËKj,ska hq;a fuu Wia ìï l,dmj, u|" uOHia: iy o< nEjqï l,dm y÷kd.; yelsh¡ nEjqïj, iajrEmh wkqj mdxY= rErdhdï iy kdhhdï jeks iajNdúl Wmøjj,ska hqla; h¡ tneúka N+ rEmk ,ËK flfrys jvd;a wjOdkh fhduq lrñka mßirhg iqÿiq ke;fyd;a .e,fmk ixj¾Ok lghq;= f;dard.; hq;= fõ¡ uyd mßudK jHdmD;s i|yd muKla fkdj iq¿ mßudK jHdmD;s i|yd o fuu ,ËK wjOdkhg .ekSu w;HjYH fõ¡ N+ úIu;djh yd iïnkaOjk fjr<; l,dmfha jqjo ixj¾Ok lghq;= ;SrKfha § iajNdúl fN!;sl mßirhg wjOdkh fhduq l< hq;= fõ¡ Èjhsk jfÜg msysgd we;s fjr<; l,dmh iEu ia:dkhlu tl yd iudk ,ËK fkdolajhs¡ › ,xldfõ jhU fjr<; l,dmh mgq iajrEmfhkq;a" ngysr" ol=Kq iy kef.kysr fjr<; l,dmh mq¿,a l,dmhla f,i;a msysgd we;¡ ixpdrl ksfla;k iy jrdh jeks fjr<; l,dm wdY%s; ixj¾Ok jHdmD;s i|yd by; lS idOlh wjOdkhg .ekSu jeo.;a fõ¡ foaY.=Ksl idOl o ixj¾Ok

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úisks

Èjhsk lDIsld¾ñl rgla jYfhka tu wxYfhka isÿ flfrk ixj¾Ok lghq;=j,§ —mi˜ hk fN!;sl idOlhg o wjOdkh fhduq lsÍu wjYHu lreKls jevigykaj,§ wjOdkhg .;hq;=u idOlhls¡ › ,xldj iïnkaOfhka jvd jeo.;au foaY.=Ksl idOlh kï j¾Idm;khhs¡ j¾Idm;kh ,efnk ld,mßÉfþoj, úúO;ajhla mj;S¡ tfukau lafIa;%Sh jYfhka j¾Idm;k jHdma;sfhys meyeÈ,s fjkialï oelsh yelsh¡ fuu ld,Sk iy lafIa;%Sh jHdma;sh ie,ls,a,g .ekSu b;d jeo.;a fõ¡ › ,xldj foaY.=Kh" mi" iajNdúl jDË,;d hk idOl mokï lr.ksñka foaY.=Ksl l,dm ;=klg fnod we;¡ tkï f;;a" w;rueÈ iy úh<s l,dm jYfhks¡ f;;a l,dmhg wêl j¾Idm;khla ,efnk w;r Bg idfmaËj wka;¾ueÈ l,dmhg;A" wka;¾ueÈ l,dmhg idfmaËj úh<s l,dmhg;a ,efnk j¾Idm;kh wvqh¡ ,efnk j¾Idm;khg wkqj mdxY= idOl" iajNdúl jDË,;d" jeiau" u;=msg c,h iy N+.; c, uÜgu hkdÈ idOl fndfyduhla ;SrKh fõ¡ tuksid foaY.=Ksl l,dmj, úúO;ajh ie,ls,a,g .ksñka Bg .e,fmk ixj¾Ok l%shdodu f;dard.; hq;=h¡ ke;fyd;a mßirhg ydkshla fkdjk wdldrhg iy mßirh ;j;a iq/flk wdldrhg ixj¾Ok l%shdoduhla i|yd wjYHh msysàu f;dard .; hq;=h¡ Èjhsk lDIsld¾ñl rgla jYfhka tu wxYfhka isÿ flfrk ixj¾Ok lghq;=j,§ —mi˜ hk fN!;sl idOlhg o wjOdkh fhduq lsÍu wjYHu lreKls¡ jeä M,odjla ,nd .ekSu fuys wruqK f,i ir,j jgyd .; yelsh¡ kuq;a jvd;a jeo.;a lreK kï mi úhelSu" mi ksireùu" wmú;%ùu hkd§ .eg¿j,ska f;drùu ùuhs¡ ksj¾;k l,dmSh rgla jYfhka › ,xldfõ o mia wÕ,la ks¾udKh i|yd jir 400-500 ;a ;rï ld,hla .;fõ¡ iuyr ixj¾Ok l%shdodu i|yd tajdg úfYaIs; jQ ia:dk f;dard.; hq;= fõ¡ WÞyrK jYfhka jrdh iy .=jkaf;dgqfmd<¡ ;j;a iuyr ixj¾Ok l%shdodu ´kEu ia:dkhl ia:dms; l< yelsh¡ WÞyrKhla jYfhka ixpdrl ksfla;k iy fydag,a oelaúh yelsh¡ kuq;a fuys§ jvd;a wjOdkh fhduq l< hq;= wxYh kï ixpdrl l¾udka;h i|ydjk b¢lsÍï" N+ñ Ndú;h" wmøjH neyer lsÍfï l%u hkdÈh úúO mßirhkag

.e<fmk wdldrhg úh hq;=h¡ WÞyrKhla jYfhka .;fyd;a › ,xldfõ fjr< l,dmfha ixpdrl ksfla;khla i|yd jk b¢lsÍï › ,xldfõ uOH l÷lr m%foaYfha b¢lsÍï yd iudk úh fkdyel¡ ixj¾Ok lghq;=j,§ fN!;sl mßirh iq/lSfï wruqKska tu ixj¾Ok lghq;= wdrïNfha§u tajd ;lafiarejlg ,la l< yelsh¡ f,dalfha fndfyda rgj,a fuu ;lafiarej isÿlrk w;r › ,xldj o Bg we;=<;a fõ¡ fuu jHdmD;s we.hSfï l%shdoduh —mdßißl we.hsfï ;lafiarej˜ (Environmental Impact Assesment-EIA) jYfhka ye¢kafõ¡ ixj¾Ok jHdmD;sfhys iajrEmh" úYd,;ajh yd msysàu wkqj jHdmD;sh we.hSulg Ndckh flf¾¡ iajrEmh hkqfjka woyia lrkqfha mßirhg Rcq n,mEula isÿúh yels jHdmD;Ska h¡ WodyrK jYfhka wêfõ.S ud¾." ;dm úÿ,s n,d.dr iy isfuka;s ksIamdokh oelaúh yelsh¡ jHdmD;sfha úYd,;ajh hk idOlh jHdmD;sj, úúO;ajh wkqj fjkia fõ¡ WÞyrK f,i ;dm úÿ,s n,d.drhla kï fu.d fjdÜia 25 blaujk ,o" fydag,hla kï ldur 99 la blau jQ" wêfõ.S ud¾.hla kï ls¡ ó¡ 10 blau jQ jYfhka oelaúh yelsh¡ msysàu ie,ls,a,g .ekSfï § fldgila jYfhka fyda iïmQ¾Kfhka mdßißl ixfõ§ ia:dk tkï jkdka;r" jk i;=kaf.a rËs;" c, fmdaIl m%foaY" ft;sydisl jeo.;alula we;s ia:dk iy Ldokhhg ,lajk m%foaY hkdÈh úfYaI wjOdkhg ,la flf¾¡ fujeks we.hSulska n,dfmdfrd;a;= jkqfha mdßißl idOl ;jÿrg;a Okd;aul lsÍu;a iy mßirhg wys;lr idOl ;sfí kï tajd ;jÿrg;a RKd;aul lsÍu;ah¡ fuu jHdmD;sfha uq,Sl j.lSu uOHu mßir wêldßh i;=h¡ Bg wu;rj ixj¾Ok jHdmD;shg wod,j úúO wud;HxY fï iïnkaOfhka j.lSu orhs¡ kuq;a fuys§ olakg ,efnk kqiqÿiq lreKla kï jHdmD;sh wdrïNfha § fuu we.hSu isÿ l<;a m%dfhda.sl jYfhka kej; kej; wëËKh l< hq;= j.lSu meyer yeÍuhs¡ fujeks we.hSfï l%shdj,shla wkq.ukh lsÍfuka mßir ys;ldó ixj¾Okhla lrd › ,xldjg msh ke.sh yelsh¡ tuksid iEu mqrjeisfhl=f.au j.lSu fujeks jHdmD;s i|yd wjxl iyfhda.h ,nd §uhs¡

Green Economy

RURAL ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

IN INDIA

India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (NREGA) is a guaranteed wage employment programme that enhances the livelihood security of marginalized households in rural areas. Implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, NREGA directly touches the lives of the poor, promotes inclusive growth, and also contributes to the restoration and maintenance of ecological infrastructure.

In its first two-and-a-half years of operation, from 2006 to 2008, NREGA generated more than 3.5 billion days of work reaching on average 30 million families per year. The programme is implemented in all 615 rural districts of the country, with women representing roughly half the employed workforce. The emphasis is placed on labour-intensive work, prohibiting the use of contractors and machinery.

Investing in ecological infrastructure In addition to supplementing wage employment, NREGA’s secondary objective is to strengthen rural natural resource management. This is achieved by financing rural works that address causes of drought, deforestation and soil erosion, thus restoring the natural capital base on which rural livelihoods depend.

As one of the world’s leading crop producers, India has seen a surge in water consumption in the agriculture sector over the years. With industrial water consumption expected to quadruple between 2000 and 2050 as well, groundwater aquifers in the four major river basins may be depleted by half by 2050. India is moving towards water scarcity due to increasing demand and a drop in supply of clean

water as well, with forecasts of even a 50 per cent deficit by 2030. Increasing water scarcity is a major constraint to agriculture and livestock production affecting livelihoods and food security.

Water conservation accounts for about half of the total projects supported under NREGA, with 850,000 water conservation works funded and completed from 2006 to 2008. For example, in the District of Jalaun (Uttar Pradesh), NREGA provided training and jobs for villagers to develop solutions to their heavily silted water harvesting infrastructure, alleviating their water shortage. In 2007-2008, more than 3,000 new soak pits, together with hand pumps were constructed. This has helped conserve an estimated 5 million litres of water. Similarly in

Andra Pradesh, NREGA supported the restoration of a network of water storage tanks dating back over 500 years in the principal arid zone. Repairs to the gates of the tanks, as well as works to desilt the channels feeding them, has restored to full capacity. This not only boosts crop and livestock production but has contributed to groundwater replenishment.

In its short history, NREGA has produced many such success stories across the country. In promoting to inclusive growth and the restoration of ecological infrastructure, the programme also has a strong impact on empowerment of poor or marginalized groups. It has contributed to boosting the average wage for agricultural labourers by more than 25 per cent over its three-year history.

Courtesy : United Nations Environment Programme (2010)

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Environment/Health

How does climate change affect our health..?

By Dr.Gumindu Garuka Kulatunga

Most of devastating natural disasters occur in a common background referred to as climate change and is frequently mentioned over media but not so frequently understood.

So let us begin by defining the basic concepts which govern them by understanding the difference between weather and climate. Weather consists of those meteorological events, such as rain, wind, and sunshine that can change day by day, even hour by hour. Climate is the average of all these events over a period of time, like a year or several years.

What is climate change?

Nowadays the term “climate change” is generally used when referring to changes in our climate, which have been identified as occurring since the beginning of the mid-19th century.

Our planet’s climate is always changing. In the past it has altered due to natural causes but at present the changes have accelerated as a result of human behaviour rather than natural forces.

Climate change is often associated with ecosystem destruction and disappearing species. This is all true, but climate change affects our lives in a more direct way: our health. Unfortunately, the impact of climate change on human health isn’t generally acknowledged.

The major mechanism behind climate change is the increased “greenhouse effect”, by which the Earth’s atmosphere traps energy from the sun just like a greenhouse.

The natural greenhouse effect which warms our planet to support life—is being heavily disturbed. The energy from the sun warms land, water, and air. In turn, the warmed-up land, water, and air give off heat, which rises up towards the sky. Gases, such as water vapor, present in the Earth’s atmosphere capture some of that heat and prevent it from escaping into space. This heat trap keeps the Earth warm, and like a warm blanket makes our planet a habitable world for all the various animal and plant species to survive in. Without this heat trapping system, the Earth’s surface would be about 15 degrees Celsius colder than it is now.

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Name of the greenhouse gas

How it is produced

Water vapor

Builds up with the evaporation from water bodies on Earth.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Produced by the combustion of fossil fuels and from forest fires.

Methane (CH4)

Release d by animal husbandry, irrigated agriculture and oil extraction

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

By-product of burning fossil fuels

Ozone (O3)

Ozone is both a natural and a man-made gas.

Produced in excess as a result of smog and severe air pollution.

Ozone is also a main element of the protective layer in the upper atmosphere, which protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Chlorine-containing gas used for refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol sprays propellants and cleaning agents.

Main types of greenhouse gases and how they are produced

This process is known as the greenhouse effect. It is a natural phenomenon mainly driven by water vapor, and other greenhouse gases (or GHGs) present in the atmosphere. Adding more greenhouse gases increases the warming effect to the point that it is no longer beneficial but has negative consequences for life on Earth.

For over 10,000 years, the Earth has had relatively stable temperatures. But scientists have noticed that for the past 150 years our planet has been warming up fast. This phenomenon is called “global warming”. It is basically due to the increased amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that have intensified the greenhouse effect. This change is the result of human activities that release GHGs. The changing climate will inevitably affect

the basic requirements for maintaining health: clean air and water, sufficient food and adequate shelter.

Each year, about 1.2 million people die from causes attributable to urban air pollution, 2.2 million from diarrhoea largely resulting from lack of access to clean water supply and sanitation, and from poor hygiene, 3.5 million from malnutrition and approximately 60,000 in natural disasters.

A warmer and more variable climate threatens to lead to higher levels of some air pollutants, increase transmission of diseases through unclean water and through contaminated food, to compromise agricultural production in some of the least developed countries, and to increase the hazards of extreme weather.

Environment/Health Many of the major killers are highly climate sensitive with regard to temperature and rainfall, including cholera and the diarrhoeal diseases, as well as diseases including malaria, dengue and other infections carried by vectors.

In the long run, however, the greatest health impacts may not be from acute shocks such as natural disasters or epidemics, but from the gradual build-up of pressure on the natural, economic and social systems that sustain health, and which are already under stress in much of the developing world. These gradual stresses include reductions and seasonal changes in the availability of fresh water, regional drops in food production, and rising sea levels.

Effects from climate change will impact all countries of the South-East Asia Region. There will be a glacier melting in the Himalayas with a rate of recession greater than anywhere else in the world leading to an increase in floods and landslides, reduced water and food resources, more frequent storms and rising sea levels. Melting glaciers and disturbed rainfall patterns will increase the amount of water induced hazards such as floods, flash floods, landslides, debris flows and droughts.

Rainfalls will increase in high latitudes and decrease in most subtropical land regions, many of which are already affected by drought.

Population growth and increasing demand for water (due not only to higher temperatures but also to higher standards of living) could adversely affect more than a billion people in the 2050s. Increasing withdrawal rates of groundwater and decreasing recharge time of the aquifers will accelerate the water crisis, notably in drier areas. The demand for irrigation water will increase by 10% for an increase in temperature of 1 degree Celsius. Regional crop yields could decrease up to 30% in Central and South Asia by the middle of this century.

Health concerns and vulnerabilities due to climate change Weather events

Impacts on human health

Warm spells, heat waves and stagnant air masses

Heat stroke, affecting mainly children and the elderly. Increase in respiratory diseases & Cardio-vascular illnesses.

Warmer temperatures and Disturbed rainfall patterns

More exposure to diseases like malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and other diseases carried by vectors such as mosquitoes, rodents and ticks

Heavy precipitation events such as heavy rain fall in short time period

Increased risk of diseases related to contaminated water and to unsafe food.

Depletion of safe water supplies and poor sanitation will increase the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera.

Droughts

Malnutrition and starvation particularly affecting childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth and development. Reduced crop yields causing a psychosocial stress for farmers and their families

Intense weather events (cyclones, storms)

Loss of life, injuries, life-long handicaps.

Damaged public health infrastructure such as health centers, hospitals and clinics.

Loss of life, loss of property and land, displacement and forced migration due to disasters will bring about psychosocial stress affecting mental health.

Sea level rise and coastal storms

Loss of livelihoods and disappearance of land will trigger massive migration and cause potential social conflicts, affecting mental health.

How climate change impacts on your health

illness in children of developed countries as well.

Heat strokes

The prevalence of asthma since the 1980s in a number of countries has increased four-fold.

Higher temperatures are expected to increase the occurrence of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and exacerbate existing conditions related to circulatory, respiratory and nervous-system problems. An increase in heat waves, particularly in urban areas, could significantly increase deaths.

Respiratory diseases Respiratory diseases are a leading cause of mortality in developing countries, and one of the most common causes of

Respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergies, are caused by combinations of different factors. Long-term exposure to air pollution, both inside the home and outdoors, is known to increase the risk of respiratory illness in children. Key air pollutants that can affect human health are ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. This pollution is mainly linked to road traffic or industrial processes.

The rapid population growth and urbanization in the region will magnify the number of people malnourished and the risk of hunger due to climate change.

Coastal ecosystems could be destroyed (wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs) with an increased coral bleaching, leading to widespread coral mortality due to temperature increases of 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3 °C.

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Environment/Health Waterborne diseases Waterborne diseases are any illness caused by drinking water contaminated by human or animal faeces, which contain pathogenic microorganisms. In developing countries many illnesses are caused by waterborne diseases, with diarrhoea being the leading cause of childhood death.

Contaminated water and food are the single most common way by which people become infected. Warmer temperatures will raise the risk of flooding, increasing diarrhoeal illnesses. Floods cause sewage and drinking water systems to mix, and that water if ingested can lead to diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid. The lack of sanitation would make the problem worse. Overall, climate change is expected to increase the burden of diarrhoea, mostly in developing countries, by 2 to 5 percent by 2020.

Also, algal blooms could occur more frequently as temperatures warm, particularly in areas with polluted waters, in which case diseases such as cholera that tend to accompany algal blooms could become more frequent. Such infectious disease outbreaks would affect all sections of society, both the rich and poor.

Vector-borne diseases Infectious diseases are now the world’s number one killer. Scientists suspect that many diseases transmitted by insects and animals (known as vectorborne diseases) will become more common. Climate change may increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. A change in climate will be more favorable to the growth of “vector organisms” like mosquitoes and rodents. These vector-borne diseases include malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis. Other diseases that may become more prevalent are chikungunya and yellow fever (both also carried by mosquitoes), schistosomiasis (carried by land snails), leishmaniasis (carried by sand flies) and Lyme disease (carried by ticks).

Higher temperatures, in combination with favorable rainfall patterns, could prolong disease transmission seasons in some locations where certain diseases already exist. In disease-free locations, climate change could enhance the introduction of certain vector-borne diseases.

Malnutrition Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet.

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The world’s poorest countries face a dramatic rise in deaths from disease and malnutrition as a result of climate change, which is driven by wealthier, more industrialized and more polluting countries.

bones and cuts and bruises), but also lead to deaths from drowning. Flooding is the most common weather disaster, responsible for the deaths of about 100 000 people and the displacement of 1.2 billion from 1992 to 2001, globally.

Food production would be severely affected by climate change, especially cereal crops. A change in climate would change temperature, rainfall patterns, soil moisture and soil fertility. Crop pests could find ideal conditions to thrive. Food security problems would lead to widespread malnutrition. This would reduce child growth and development. Malnutrition and hunger would affect adults’ health too. Greater variability in weather patterns along with higher temperatures may lead to droughts and water shortages. Today, 1.7 billion people (about one-third of the world’s population) live in places that have periodic water shortages. That number is expected to increase to 5 billion by 2025.

Psychosocial stress

A decrease in water availability as a result of changes in the rainfall pattern, forcing people to drink unsafe water, would add to the health problems related to diarrhoeal disease outbreaks. Water and food scarcity would bring havoc to subsistence farmers, possibly triggering mass migration to urban centers.

Decreasing river flows, rising salinity of estuaries, loss of fish and aquatic plant species and reductions in coastal sediments are likely to damage fisheries, a key source of protein for coastal and riverside populations, possibly as early as 2020.

Injuries Changes in the frequency of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, cold spells, hurricanes, cyclones, floods and storms would result in injuries and deaths.

Rising sea levels – another outcome of global warming – increase the risk of coastal flooding, and could cause population displacement. More than half of the world's population now lives within 60 kilometres of shorelines. These injuries can result in major trauma, such as the loss of limbs, and minor injuries (broken

Psychosocial stress occurs when acute or chronic events, of psychological or social in origin, cause a major disruption in an individual’s day-to-day life and affect their well-being. Stressful situations may arise due to natural disasters, traumatic events, crowding or isolation. Natural disasters not only lead to destruction, but also to displacement. Survivors of such disasters have to cope not only with physical injuries, but the pain and stress of loosing their family members, homes and livelihood.

Witnessing such traumatic events could have a devastating impact on their mental health causing a condition known as PostTraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Climate change may also contribute to social disruption, economic decline and displacement of populations in certain regions due to effects on agricultural production, already-scarce water resources and extreme weather events. These issues are likely to be more severe in developing countries, and may worsen human health and well-being in affected regions.

It is imperative to have a better understanding of the relationships between climate change and human health. Indeed, it is high time that health concerns move up front in the decision-making processes about mitigation and adaptation to global warming and climate change.

References 1. How is climate change affecting our health?

A manual for teachers on world health day- 2008, (World Health Organization) WHO regional office for South-East Asia 2. Protecting health from climate change: connecting science, policy and people, WHO 2009.

3. Climate change is affecting our health, something should be done now, WHO 2009.

Education

Is it time to do my

MBA?

By Nalin Goonewardene

The present environment worldwide including Sri Lanka is one of great uncertainity, so one wonders is it the right time to pursue a course leading to an MBA? Several factors need to be examined before answering this question.

First let’s put an MBA into context.

An MBA is a Master's degree in Business Administration. Originally, courses in the MBA program introduced important areas of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources and operations management. In time, these were extended to other areas such as Information Systems, E-Commerce, Entrepreneurship etc. The MBA designation originated in the United States as the country industrialized and companies sought scientific approaches to management. It has now spread to all parts of the globe and is the significant differentiator in acquiring top management positions.

However, an MBA is not for everyone. Because of the time it takes, the commitment and the cost, an MBA is not in general for people who want more academic focus than an undergraduate (first) degree or those without a deep desire for a business career.

On the other hand, an MBA can benefit those who want to be effective leaders or require to change or advance their business careers. The MBA programme can be followed full time or part time.

Generally, it is not recommended to follow an MBA course immediately after a first degree. This is because a certain amount of familiarity and experience in business is necessary to reap the full benefits of the course. The minimum qualification to follow such a course is a first degree or satisfactory evidence of relevant experience.

In Sri Lanka, MBA programmes are conducted by the main universities.

Distance Learning courses from foreign universities are also available privately.

For the highest positions, it is important to get an MBA from a reputed “business school”. Much like a law school education, the academic content of a business school education does not vary much between programs in the same field. However, the value of your MBA is directly related to the prestige of the school which granted it.

The leading business schools are generally accepted to be Harvard, Wharton and Stanford though others are catching up with their reputation.

MBA programmes are available in many fields, so it can take some time to research the best fit for your requirements.

Before embarking on such a search, it is best to assess your career goals

MBA programmes are available in many fields, so it can take some time to research the best fit for your requirements.

Before embarking on such a search, it is best to assess your career goals. This will tell you if an MBA is appropriate, what benefits you seek and why, so that your expectations are placed on a realistic footing. Therefore, age is not a decider or barrier to embarking on an MBA programme.

The answer to “Is it time to do my MBA?” is aptly summarised by Dipak Jain, Dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a visiting professor at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, who says: “The right time to do an MBA is when you are mentally prepared to start the journey. External market conditions need to be factored into your decision, but they should not be the driving decision.

Conditions come and go, but the MBA degree will continue to be of enduring value. We believe that intellectual curiosity and learning should be your guide in the journey ahead.”

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Education / Exams

I E LT S People trust the quality and security of IELTS because it is managed by three reputable, international organisations: British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL).

Opening doors – that’s what more and more people are finding an IELTS result do for them.

So much so that over 1,500,000 people took the IELTS exam in the last 12 months worldwide, making it the world’s most popular English testing system.

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System which tests English proficiency in over 500 counties, and is primarily used by those looking to pursue new opportunities abroad, be it study, work or a new life after migrating.

There are usually tests 3 times a month in Sri Lanka.

IELTS is recognized by more than 6000 institutions in over 135 countries. That’s a major reason for the continuing success of IELTS – it is truly global in its usage & recognition. The top 3 destinations test takers use for IELTS are Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The last of these 3 may surprise people, but IELTS is accepted by over 2500 US institutes, including all the Ivy League institutes.

This can make life much more straightforward. “I wanted to apply to universities in Australia and the US, and it’s the only English proficiency exam that I can use in both countries. If I did the TOEFL, I had to do IELTS as well, so I think I can kill two birds with one stone” says IELTS candidate Tanisha Panditharatne.

IELTS is also internationally focused in its content. For example, a range of native-speaker accents (North American, Australian, New Zealand, and British) is used in the Listening test, and all standard varieties of English are accepted in candidates’ responses in all parts of the test.

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Speaking of IELTS’ phenomenal growth over the last twenty years, Dr Michael Milanovic, Chief Executive of Cambridge ESOL said: “Over the last two decades IELTS has become the leading and most widely accepted international English language test in the world. Whether for work or study, millions of ambitious candidates have benefited from the lifechanging opportunities that IELTS enables”.

“Our success has been driven by a continual focus on strong, expert-led research and innovation, along with a commitment to test language ability in a practical, real and relevant way. IELTS is uniquely fit for purpose, as it covers all of the key skills – speaking, writing, reading and listening abilities. Indeed our face-toface speaking test is the only true-to-life oral test available. Ultimately, IELTS is not just about giving students a certificate, but proving that they have the language skills needed to get the most from learning and working in another country.”

Making sense of IELTS IELTS results are graded on the unique IELTS 9-band scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English. Overall Band Scores are reported to the nearest half band.

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Expert User Very Good User Good User Competent User Modest User Limited User Extremely Limited User Intermittent User Non User Did not attempt the test

There are two types of IELTS test: Academic or General Training, the choice of which depends on whether you want to study, work or migrate. Both modules are made up of four parts – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

The Academic format is, broadly speaking, for those who want to study or

train in an English-speaking university or Institutions of Higher and Further Education. Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses is based on the results of the Academic test. The General Training format focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts. It is typically for those who are going to English-speaking countries to do secondary education, work experience or training programs. People migrating to Australia, Canada and New Zealand must sit the General Training test.

Each recognising organisation sets its own entry requirements in terms of band scores. These will vary depending upon the purpose of taking the test, and the general minimum is a band 4. In some cases both modules may be accepted. If you are in doubt as to which module to take or the score you need, you should contact the organisation you are applying to in order to check their requirements. Further information on required scores or modules is also available on www.ielts.org.

Preparing to take IELTS – Make sure you are ready It’s important to familiarise yourself with the format of the test – information on the test can be found at www.ielts.org It’s recommended anyone do a practice test. Samples of IELTS test material and information about the test are available from the following websites: • www.ielts.org • www.britishcouncil.org/learning-ielts. htm • w w w. c a m b r i d g e e s o l . o r g / e x a m s / academic-english/ielts.html • www.idp.com/examinations/ielts/ about_the_test.aspx • www.ieltsusa.org You don’t have to attend a preparation course, but many candidates find that doing so helps them improve their performance.

Other top tips for success in IELTS • Check you follow instructions with your answers • There’s no negative marking, so attempt as many questions as possible • Manage your time carefully in the test • Practice applying these tips as much as possible!

Tngu .e,fmk l=i,;d ixj¾Ok iy ;dCIKsl mqyqKq mdGud,d i|yd

www.careers.edex.lk fjí wvúhg msúfikak' Powered by

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wOHdmkh

W.;a ;reKhkaf.a /lshd úrys; nj iy /lshd fkd.e<mSu ( Ys% ,dxflah ikao¾Nh ;=< Ydkql fikr;a

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ye`Èkaùu ,xldfõ /lshd úhqla;sfha iajNdjh miq.sh oYlh ;=< ;Èka fmfkkakg ;snqKs' úfYaIfhkau úYaj úoHd, WmdêOdÍka w;r /lshd úhqla;sh ;Èka lemS fmfka' wfkla w;g" jhia uÜgu wkqj /lshd úhqla;sh i,ld n,k úg" jeäu /lshd úhqla;shla we;af;a jhi 18 - 24 w;r ;reKhka w;rh' ^uy nexl=fõ úúO uQ,dY%& msßñka w;r /lshd úhqla;shg jvd ia;S%ka w;r /lshd úhqla;sh by<h' úfYaIfhkau W.;a ;reKshka ;=<" fï ikaisoaêh meyeÈ,sj Èiafõ' w'fmd'i' Wiia fm< iu;a iy WmdêOrhka o we;=,;aj W$fm<g jvd by< iqÿiqlï we;s ;reKhka w;r jeäu /lshd úhqla;shla mj;S' zzmiq.sh oYl lSmh ;=< ;reKhkaf.a /lshd kshqla;sh b;d ixfõ§ yd nrm;, m%Yakhla njg m;aj we;ZZ' ^kdkdhlaldr"2004&

wOHdmk iqÿiqlï iy wjYH;d w;r fkd.e,mSu miq.sh oYlh ;=< uynexl= jd¾;d uÕska fmkakqï lrkafka /lshd wjia:djka yd wOHdmk iqÿiqlï w;r ;sfnk fkd.e<mSu fya;=fjka úYaj úoHd, WmdêOdßhka w;r /lshd úhqla;sh mj;sk njhs' ^uy nexl=j" 2009 ( uy nexl=j" 2003 ( uynexl=j" 1999& fjk;a úúO rdcH yd rdcH fkdjk m%ldYk iy wOHhk Ydia;%Orhka úiska fuu ±lau ;j ÿrg;a ;yjqre lr we;' zzwjYH wOHdmk iqÿiqlï iy yelshdjka W.;a ;reKhka w;r fkdue;sùu ,xldfõ ;reK /lshd úhqla;shg uQ,sl fya;=jla ù we;'ZZ ^uy nexl=j"2003& WmdêOrhka w;r /lshd úhqla;shg m%Odk fya;= ;=kla kdkdhlaldr ^2004& y÷kd. kS' thg m<uq fya;=j Tjqka úYaj úoHd, wOHdmkh wjika lrk jhihs' o< jYfhka th jhi 26 - 27 la fõ' fojk fya;=j kï m%udKj;a fkdjk bx.s%is NdId ±kqu iy f;dr;=re ;dCI‚l ±kqu wvqùuhs' wjidk jYfhka kdkdhlaldr olajkafka" úúO fya;= u; mokïj fm!oa.,sl wxYh úiska WmdêOrhka n|jd .ekSug ;sfnk wleue;a; ksid o WmdêOrhka w;r /lshd úhqla;sh we;sj ;sfnk njhs'

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

/lshd úrys; WmdêOrhkag rcfha /lshd iïmdokh lsÍu jir 2004 § mej;s rch úiska rcfha /lshd 42000 la WmdêOdÍkag ,ndfok ,§' fuu /lshd 42000 úúO rdcH wud;HdxY yd fomd¾;fïka;= ;=< mqyqKq ld, iSudjlao iys;j ,nd § ;sìK' wÞ, ld,fhka miq /lshdjg n|jd .ekSu n,dfmdfrd;a;= úh' ^uy nexl=j" 2004& m<uq yd fojk rEm igyka j,ska fmkakqï lrkafka W.;a ;reKhkaf.a /lshd úhqla;sh iy rdcH wxYfha /lshd kshqla;sh iïnkaO ù we;s wdldrhhs' m<uq rEm igykg wkqj 2004 jirg idfmaCIj 2005 jif¾ rdcH wxYfha /lshd kshqla;slhkaf.a m%udKfhys meyeÈ,s jeäùula fmkakqï lrhs' fuh isÿj we;af;a WmdêOrhkag /lshd 42000 iïmdokh lsÍfuka miqjh' 3'6 rEm igyfkka fmkakqï lrk wdldrhg wkqj" W.;a ;reKhka w;r /lshd úhqla;sh 2004 idfmalaIj 2005 § meyeÈ,sj wvq ù we;'

Ys% ,xldfõ /lshd fkd.e<mSu /lshd fj<| fmd< f;dr;=re tAllh ^2010& ;u úYaf,aIlhka ;=<ska ;jÿrg;a Tmamq lrkafka m%udKj;a ;rï /lshd wjia:d ;snqK;a m%Yakh ù we;af;a wjYH /lshdj fkdue;s ùu njhs' úYaf,aIlhka i|yka lrkafka iuyr /lshd j¾.hkag by< b,a¨ula ;sfnk njhs' kS;sfõ§ka" Wiia ks<Odßka iy l<uKdlrejka jeks by< yelshdjla wjYH /lshd j,g b,a¨u olskakg ,efí' tfiau mqyqKq iy w¾O

mqyqKq /lshd i|ydo by< b,a¨ula ;sfnk nj úYaf,aIlhka ;yjqre lrhs' mqyqKq j¾.hg fyda by< mqyqKq j¾.hg jvd w¾O mqyqKq /lshd j¾.hg by< b,a¨ula ;sfí' wjYH iqÿiqlï i,ld ne,Sfï§ CIMA j,g by< b,a¨ula ;sfí' tfiau AAT, NDT, M.Sc iy wd¾Ól úoHdj ms<sn|j B.A Wmdêh wjYH wOHdmk$jD;a;Sh iqÿiqlï w;r fõ' yelshdj wjYHjkjdg wu;rj bx.s%is ±kqu iy mß.Kl yelshdj w;HjYHh' ^Y%u fj<| fmd< f;dr;=re tAllfha úúO uQ,dY%& zzfnjßÊ jl%h fmkajk wdldrhg" /lshd úrys; wkqmd;h iy wenE¾;= wkqmd;h w;r m%;sf,dau iïnkaO;djhla ;sfíZZ Y%u fj<|fmd< f;dr;=re tAllh ^2010&

idrdxYh fï wdldrhg fmkS hkafka wOHdmk iqÿiqlï iy wjYH;d w;r ;sfnk fkd.e<mSu wfkla w;g ,xldfõ ;reKhka w;r /lshd úrys; njla we;slrk njhs' ,xldfõ WmdêOrhka w;r ú/lshdj .;a l< th y÷kd.; yelafla yelshdjka w;r fkd.e<mSu f,ihs' fï wkqj kjl joh wd§ wkjYHh wjia:d ;=rka lrñka jvd fyd|" /lshd b,lal jQ mdGud,djla ks¾udKh lsÍu wjYH fõ

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fld<U rdclSh úoHd,Sh isxy, lÓl yd újdo ixioh u.ska ixúOdkh lrkq ,enQ —;¾l 2011˜ iuia; ,xld ff;%NdId cd;sl újdo ;r.dj,sh miq.shod w;s id¾:l whqßka meje;aúKs' NdId udOH ;=ku ksfhdackh lrñka mdi,a újdo lKavdhï 203 la fuu jif¾oS ;r.dj,sh i|yd iyNd.S jQ w;r fuh YS% ,xldfõ meje;afjk tlu cd;sl uÜgfï ff;%NdId újdo ;r.dj,sho fõ' 7 jeks jrg;a ixúOdkh lrkq ,enQ fuu ;r.dj,sh fmr jirhkaysoS fukau wOHdmk wud;HdxYfha mQ¾K wkque;sh yd wëlaIKh hgf;a mj;ajdf.k hdu iqúfYaIS;djhls' re' ñ,shk 2'3 l muK oejeka; msrsjehla fï fjkqfjka jeh lrñka rdclShhka h:d¾;hla njg m;al, fuu iqúi,a l¾;hHh furg furg mdi,a isiqka lKavdhula úiska ixúOdkh jk fuu ;r.dj,sh" fuu jif¾oS Ys% ,xldfõ ixpdrl l¾udka;h yd tys bosß .uk ms<sn| jQ f;audjka mokï lr.ksñka t,s oelaúKs' wd¾Ól ixj¾Ok wud;HdxYh hgf;a mj;sk YS% ,xld ixpdrl ixj¾Ok wêldßh yd w;aje,a ne|.ksñka —;¾l 2011˜ fujr ixúOdkh jQfhao ta fyhsks' osjhsfka m%d:ñl fkdjk ish,qu rcfha yd fm!oa.,sl mdi,a fuu ;r.dj,sh i|yd wdrdOkd ,enQ w;r k.rno mdi,a fukau" .ïno w;s ÿIalr m%foaYhka yd W;=re kef.kysr fmr hqO jd;djrKh mej;s m%foaYkays mdi,a j, orejka mjd fuu ;r.dj,sh i|yd iyNd.S ùu iqúfYaIs isÿùula úh'

osjhsfka l=uk m%foaYlhl isg meñKsho" ljr ;rd;srula ksfhdackh l,o" ljr NdIdjlska wduka;%Kh l,o" ish,q fokdyg iu ;r. whs;sjdislï ,nd foñka yd wjYH ish¿ myiqlï ,nd foñka rdclShhka bgq l, fufyh m%YxikSh fõ' ;r. mej;s osk lsysmh mqrdu ;r.lrejka i|yd wjYH wdydr mdk" kjd;eka myiqlï wdoS jQ ish¿ wjYH;djhka fkdwvqj inqqrd,Sug ixúOdhlfhda hqyqiq¿ jQy'

bjy,a úh' th jevuq¿fjys wx.hhs f;jeks wx.h f,I úfYaIfhkau mdi,a orejka jeo.;a jk kdhl;aj mqyqKqj" Wiia wOHdmkh" fukau YS% ,xldfõ ixpdrl l¾udka;fha kj m%jK;d ms<sn| jQ foaYk ud,d lsysmhla meje;aúKs' jevuq¿fjys wjidk wx.h f,i ;¾l COLOMBO CITY TOUR kï jQ fld<U k.rh flakaølr.;a úfYaI pdßldjkla ixúOdkh lr ;sìKs'

fmnrjdrs 12 yd 13 hk oskhkaysoS NdId udOH ;=fkysu uQ,sl ;r. jhgkays isg wjika mQ¾j jg olajd mej;s w;r bx.S%is yd oñ, NdId udOHkays wjika ;r.o fmnrjdrs 13 ^bßod& iji meje;aúKs' fld<U úYaj úoHd,hSh kS;s isiqka yd wdos rdclSh újdolhkaf.ka ieÿï,;a lKavdhula úksYaph lghq;= j, fhÿKy'

fï wdlrfha osk 2 la mqrd mej;s fuu jevigyka wjika miqod ^14 jkod& g ysre kef.kafka ,dxflah újdo lafIa;%fha cd;sl Y+rhka ìys lsÍu Wfoid lr,sh iliñks' rdclSh úÿy,a kj r.y,a mßY%fha mej;s fuu wjika uyd ;r.h yd chixÄ; m%Odk Wf<f,ys m%Odk wdrdê;hd jQfha wd¾:sl ixj¾Ok wud;H neis,a rdcmlaI uy;dh' isxy, újdo ;r. wxYfha wjika ;r.h tu wjia:dfõoS meje;ajQ w;r tu ;r.fhao ch ,nñka ;r.dj,sfha isxy, wxYfha iuia; Y+r;djh fld<U ä'tia' fiakdkdhl úÿy, oskd.kakd ,os' tys wkqY+r;djh ysñ lr.;af;a ;¾iagka úoHd,hhs' bx.S%is wxYfha Y+r;djh fld<U ldka;d úoHd,h ysñlr.ksoaoS tys wkqY+r;djh .,alsiai Ydka; f;dauia úÿy, ysñlr .ekSug iu;a úh' oñ, wxYfha Y+r;djh nïn,msáh yskaÿ nd,sld úoHd,h Wrejllï lSy' fkduo meiiqï /ilska mßmQ¾Kj ksudj ÿgq fï oejka; l¾;jHh fujrg;a jvd w;Hd,xldrj ,nk jif¾oS;a f.k taug újdolhka iQodkïka isá'

fuu ;r.dj,sh ;=< lemS fmkqk iqúfiaYS;u wx.h jQfha —;¾l jevuq¿jhs˜ ms<su¿ka msgqoelSfï l%uhg újdo ;r. jg meje;afjoaoS mrchg m;ajk ÿr neyer mdi,a úYd, ixLHdjlg h,s .ï ìï fj; yerS hdug isÿjk ;;a;ajh je,elaùu i|yd fuh ixúOdkh jQ w;r ;r. jg meje;afjk w;r;=r mrdcs; lKavdhïo iu.ska jevuq¿j bosßhg .uka flßKs' tys m%:u wx.h f,i YS% ,xld md¾,sfïka;=fõ wdlD;shg ieliqK úfYaI wdo¾Y md¾,sfïka;= ieisjdrhla meje;aúKs' ;¾l - PHENOMENON kï úfYaI ix.S;s ieoEj ldf.;a is;a oskd.ksñka úvdnr uki ikikakg

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EDEX Notes

EDEX 2011 Expo an exceptional

exhibition with choices, options and opportunities for youth

EDEX Expo, Sri Lanka's largest and most comprehensive education and careers exhibition was held for the 8th year in January 2011 at BMICH Colombo and Kandy City Centre. It was an overwhelming success despite numerous challenges faced.

EDEX 2011 Expo had the largest number of stalls in Colombo and Kandy totaling 300, segmented into 5 pavilions in Colombo under International, Domestic, Careers, Think Green, Vocational Training and Skills Development. The three day event in Colombo attracted approximately 37,000 visitors while 15,000 visitors attended the Kandy Expo, a very satisfactory visitor turnout that met stall holder expectations.

A special feature this year was the participation of strategic partner, Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) as a stall holder accommodating 11 member organizations showcasing career opportunities in the IT/ BPO industry, a sector with high growth potential.

Further, it was an encouragement to see the participation of five institutions of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development showcasing technical and vocational training and skills development opportunities

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that lead to gainful employment for the benefit of students who fail to enter universities or other secondary higher educational institutes.

Participation of Kothalawala Defense University and Sri Lanka Military Academy also expanded the reach of the Expo further.

Strategic alliances formed with Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) is a factor reflecting the high regard professional entities have for the EDEX expo.

Further, sponsorships granted by corporate entities such as Singer, ESOFT, ANC, HSBC, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL), Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (UK) and Western College for Management & Technology, speaks volumes for its professional appeal.

EDEX Expo organized at a national level has been endorsed by the Presidential Secretariat, Ministries of Education, Higher Education, Youth Affairs & Skills Development and Labour and Labour Relations.

EDEX Notes

1

Welcome to EDEX Colombo

4

1. Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena is welcomed by Principal of Royal College, Mr. Upali Gunasekera 2. The Minister of Environment, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, is welcomed by Mr. Gunasekera

5

3. Lighting of the traditional Oil Lamp 4. Chairman of EDEX, Mr. Kamal Abeysinghe, making the welcome address

2

5. Cutting the ceremonial ribbon 6. The special invitees visit the Green stalls

6

3

Youth Participation at EDEX Colombo

1

Welcome to EDEX Kandy

2

1. Chief Minister, Sarath Ekanayake and Central Provincial Governor, Tikiri Kobbekaduwa at the opening ceremony 2. Lighting the oil lamp 3. Youth from the central province congregate at Kandy EDEX

3

Youth Participation at EDEX Kandy

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EDEX Notes

1 4

5 2

6

3

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Letters

We thank all our readers for writing to us form all parts of Sri Lanka.

We truly appreciate you feed back....

P.S. I Love You

EDEX+Plus EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

49

X E D E

ï j + is;

yß; úialï

EDEX Wiia wOHdmk yd jD;a;Sh ud¾f.damfoaY m%o¾Ykh" furg wod, lafIa;%fha m%uqL;u m%o¾Ykhhs' tys jákdlï jeä lrk wkq wx. .Kkdjls' ta w;ßka EDEX is;=jï" EDEX yd Y%S ,xflah m%cdj ;j ;j;a hd lrhs' EDEX COMP kñka rdclSh úoHd,h we;=<; muKla meje;ajqKq fuu ;rÕ jißka jir ÈhqKq fjñka EDEX 2011 jk úg furg m%uqL;u Ñ;% m%o¾Ykh njg m;aj we;' m%d:ñl" wka;¾uOHu" fÊIaG yd úYajúoHd, uÜgñka meje;ajqKq EDEX is;=jï 2011" iuia: ,xld iy rdclSh úoHd,hSh hk uQ,sl wxY oaú;ajh Tiafia È. yereKls' yß; ixl,amh mokï lr .;a f;audjka /.;a fuu ;rÕdj,sh ;=<ska jir .Kkdjla ;siafia furg YsIH m%cdfõ l,d l=i,;d fukau yß;uh is;sú,s uqjy;a úh' rdclSh úoHd,hSh ix.uh uÕska ixúOdkh lrk EDEX m%o¾Yk mßY%h ;=< iqúfYaIs wx.khla fujr is;=jï i|yd fjkaúKs' fufg%dfmd,sgka wdh;kfha wkq.%dyl odhl;ajh u; ieliqkq tu wx.kh i|yd iqúfYaIs wjOdkhla krUkakkaf. ka ,eîKs'

Secretary of the Royal College Union, Mr. Manju Ariyaratne presenting a certificate and gift to an all-island winner

The principal of Royal Collage, Mr. Upali Gunasekera awarding a prize to a senior student

is;=jï tajd ch.%yKh l< isiqkag iïudk" ;Hd. iy iy;sl m;a msßkeóu Wfoid jQ Wf<, miq.shod rdclSh úoHd,hSh úÿy,am;s Wmd,s .=Kfialr uy;df.a m%Odk;ajfhka" úoHd,hSh ksmqK;d flakaø Y%jKd.drfha§ fmnrjdß 26 jk osk meje;aúKs' Chairman of EDEX, Mr. Kamal Abeysinghe, awarding the prize to the winner of the University category

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EDEX+Plus Careers Magazine

EDEX is;=j誰 2011 ch.%ylhska Junior - 1st Place

Junior - 2nd Place

Junior - 3rd Place

W.A. K.K. Weerasinghe

I.K. Seniwirathna

W.P.M.Sewmini

Intermediate - 1st Place

Intermediate - 2nd Place

Intermediate - 3rd Place

K.M.I.S.Jaliyabandara

Vidanagamage Pethmi Budara

B.A.I.Gunaratne

Senior - 1st Place

Senior - 2nd Place

Senior - 3rd Place

D.P.G.Sugath Karunarathne

W.T.P.H.Perera

University - 2nd Place

University - 3rd Place

Eheliyagoda Dharmapala Primary School, Eheliyagoda

Kegalle Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle

St.joseph Ladies College, Kegalle

Narandeniya Central College, Kaburupitiya

Lyceum International Scool, Rathnapura

Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo 10

R.A.Asanka Madushaanka H/Thalawa Maha Vidyalaya, Kariyamadiththa

Poramadulla Madhya Vidyalaya, Rikillagaskada

University - 1st Place

Sri Somaloka Daham Pasala,Pannipitiya

K.A.Sandunika Hasangani Art Faculty, University of Colombo

Pothpitiyage Dinusha Chinthaka, Open Univercity ,Ambalangoda

Mihiri Maheshika Premadasa

Faculty of Science,University of Colombo

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Books I Love to Read

The Way of Shadows Brent Weeks The Story of the Night Angel

By Vinura Welgama For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art. And he is the city's most accomplished artist, his talents required from alleyway to courtly boudoir. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned the hard way to judge people quickly – and take no risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.

But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his own life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassin's world of dangerous politics and strange magic and cultivate a flair for death.

As the first of a trilogy that takes you on an epic journey of magic, politics and elemental chaos, The Way of Shadows is the perfect example to show how contemporary fiction has evolved to a level where the story setting no longer makes the novel imaginary. The depth of emotion and suspense that has been included within the setting of the story and within the characters themselves manages to create the impression that the fictional land of “Midcyru”, set in a Medieval Persian background, would have actually existed. This belief is further strengthened by the level of politics and hierarchy that is brilliantly described by the writer, which adds to the creation of a land filled with medieval autocracy and unconditional devotion. With references to actual cultures that existed in the past and mixing it with various religions in order to create a fantastic portrait on ancient kingship, this

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novel is not merely an action packed thrill ride. The inclusion of various aspects of life including regions ruled

by God-kings, Priestesses, Smugglers, and Weak Dynasties adds up to the creation of a beautiful setting in which this story unfolds.

Brent Weeks manages to give a rather unique take on the battle between Good and Evil. The novel, centred upon the characters of Durzo Blint, the Legend and Azoth or Kylar Stern, the Street Rat, manages to portray how the world is not always as black and white as we hope it is. It shows how choosing the lesser of two evils might just be the best option available to mankind and how such compromise would suit a world filled with power hungry humans better than trying to create the illusion of a make believe utopia with the hope of achieving perfection in the future.

Kylar is essentially posed with the question that makes him stand up for what he believes in. From the very beginning, we see how Azoth the boy is oppressed by the system that governs him, and his urge to break out is sanctified when he has a happen-stance meeting with Durzo Blint. The life of a street rat, to live off of what you can find, and to give out anything you find extra to whoever who runs the street, is not so different from the situation of slums in modern society. The first half of the book shows how Azoth essentially beats this system with the help of Durzo Blint, and manages to stand up for his beliefs.

However, his decision to pursue the life free of oppression by following the footsteps of the most dangerous assassin in “Midcyru” ends up making him question his understanding of what freedom really is. The life that he is trained to lead, filled with politics and deception, mixed with magic and combat, allows him to tap into strengths that he never knew to exist.

However, little does he realize that the stronger he gets, the lighter his grip on humanity becomes. The Way of Shadows is in its own a coming of age story, about an orphan boy who decides to make something out of himself and ends up being the turning point of an entire civilization. Filled with action, adventure, magic, suspense, unbelievable twists and turns, with a pinch of romance and sheer literary brilliance.

The Way of Shadows is definitely a keeper for any fiction fan.

Movie Review

Educational Movies that will delight you!

By Vinura Welgama

The Social Network At first I was skeptical as to whether a decent movie could be made based on the life of a so called “nerd” . But David Fincher lives up to his reputation and delivers a movie that is guaranteed to grip you like an iron vice in the first five minutes of the movie. The movie as I am pretty sure you all are aware of is based on the creation of facebook. But the brilliant plot and storyline based on a true story, seems like the creation of a fantasy. An enthralling movie that is a must watch, specially for the five hundred million facebook users out there. The only flaw I find with the movie is that Mark Zuckerberg is predominantly vast as the bad guy and the viewer is not left to make his own conclusion, yet regardless of this flaw this movie in my opinion well deserved even more than the three Oscars it won.

Inception An elaborate, complex and amazing movie. Inception is not a movie you should watch in your free time, it’s a movie that you should make free time to watch for. If the storyline grips you as it did me, you’ll probably be left with a stunned feeling and a headache at the end of the movie. Seriously this movie was just stunning, from the imagery in the movie, ( no words to describe it, you got to watch it to believe it ) ever seen roads just going into the sky ? To the plot and the concept of inception itself, this movie is based on a very very novel and innovative idea and is therefore a must watch for people out there who ask questions. This movie in one word is “ religious “ in the proportion of the concept it reveals

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;dreKHh iy fi!kao¾hh

wdfõ.Ys,s ;reKHfha cjiïmkak yeÕSï l,dj yryd Woa§mkh l< yelsh Ȩñ ymqwdrÉÑ

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úisks

jQ úIh m:h ksjerÈj w¾: l:kh lr .ekSu fuys,d jeo.;a jkq we;ehs yeÕSï' —ñksid úiska idlaId;a lr.kq ,nk W;a;Í;r ñksia yeÕSï iyDohkag fnod fokafka" iufma%IKh lrkafka l=ulao@ th l,djhs˜ hkqfjka reishdkq uyd .;alre ,sfhda fgda,aiafgdahs ks¾jpkh lr we;s wdldrhgu l,dj hkq udkùh;ajh yd iïnkaO jk úfYaIs; ks¾ñ;hla nj m%;HCI fjhs'

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—jikaf;a ksod Wka fhdjqka fldals,djka .hkafka iqfmï .S; fyauka;fha§ jikaf;a <m,af,ka jeiS Wka l=iqï leka kgkafka msmS ±ka fyauka;fha §˜

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fuu f.ah mo rplhd iïfm%AIKh lrkqfha ;ud yd;ami f,dalh u mßj¾;khg n÷ka j we;s njhs' tlS mßj¾;kh jQ l,S iqkaor mßj¾;khls' fidnd oyfï isÿ jQ iD;= úm¾hdih;a iuÕ fjkod fkdweiqKQ fldals, l+ckhla ijiam;a w;r kskakdo fjhs' th iqfmïj;a .S;sldjla f,i Tyqg wefia' fuhska èjks;d¾:j;a jkafka Tyqf.a $wehf.a f,dalhg fm%aufha wreKe,a, jegqKq fihls' rplhd th mjid we;af;a ixh; iajrfhks' —ú,dfmka úvd ù /§ ux ;,dfõ jeiS wkaOldfrka jeà ux uq<dfõ j,djla f,iska ux wefooa§ whdf,a Tfnka fk;a ,enQfha fyauka; ldf,a˜ ÿl" fYdalh" ika;dmh" fõokdj Ôú;fha iodld,sl Wreulrefjda fkdfj;a' w÷rg fjka jQ fydard lsysmhla we;s fia u wdf,dalhg o fydard lsysmhla fjkaj we;' ÿla fida iqqiqï fidaod yer ika;=Iaáh ms<s.ekSug ld,h t<U ;sfí' mSvdjg m;a jQ Ôú;hg ;s; ;eîug ld,hhs' ie<uq;= fmul yõyrK Ôú;hg ,eî we;s nj ks¾udKlrejd ixh; iajrfhka m%ldY lrhs' —Ôú;fha § wmg uqqyqK §ug isÿ jk fõokdldÍ w;a±lSïj,g jvd m%Yia; whqßka ms<s;=re iemhsh hq;=h' Tn Ôú;fha wñysß lv bul miqjkafkl= úh yel kuq;a thska miqng úh hq;= fkdfõ' ula ksid o h;a ksielfhka u ñysßhdj o Tn miqmiska tk neúks'˜ hk fï h:d¾:h ;reK mrmqr fj; iïfm%aIKh lrñka Tjqkf.a n,dfmdfrd;a;= ±,aùug fuu l,dlrejd iu;a ù we;'

;dreKHh iy fi!kao¾hh ;reKHh cjiïmkak jQ;a wdfõ.

YS,S jQ;a lv buls' fuys,d l,dlrejd i;= ld¾H jkqfha iajlSh l,d lD;sh Wmfhda.S lr.ksñka ;dreK yeÕSï l=mS; lrùu fkdj tlS yeÕSï ishqï f,i ika;¾mKh lsÍuhs' fm%auh yd iïnkaê; wd,ïnk úNdjhla f,i fm%aujka;hd fyda fma%ujka;sh rislhd yuqjg muqKjñka Ndjhka msì§ ldu .skak o,ajk wjr .Kfha .S; rpkd ;=<ska hglS ioa ld¾hh bIag jkafka ke;' —bÕ;a fndau fmdä <eu;a fndau we;s È.eia ;sfhk <ÿfka˜ fujeks .S ksid ;reK yoj;ays le<UQKq is;sú,s frdamKh fõ' jeäysá m%cdj ;=< we;sjkafka pu;aldrhla fkdj cq.=maidjls' fun÷ wjHla; .S mo rpkd ksid ia;%shf.a iudc jákdlu;a f.!rjh;a úkdY uqLhg weo jefÜ' tfy;a ienE l,dlrejd ia;%Sh iudc nyqudkhg md;% lr iyDo yojf;ys weh ms<sn| myka yeÕSï iuqodhla mqnqÿjd,hs' —ks, wyfia ;dreld fia wE kqjka o,ajd n,kakS fma%ufha udhd ±,ska ud is;a kqjka n|jd ;nkakS '''' ud jgd iyila hq.;a md wE reúka ms<srE ueú,d ''''˜ fma%udila; oEia úysod weh fy<k ne,au Tyq is; fmdUhhs' Tyqg wef.a fk;a ÿgq l, isys jkafka ;dreldh' weh úiska Tyqf.a Ôú;h ;ud hg;g .kq ,en we;' ta jkdys iqkaor hg;a lr .ekSuls' wdorh keue;s udhd ±,ska weh Tyqf.a is; keue;s oEi ne| oud we;s j. mejfikqfha Wla wre; Tmakxjñks' Tyqf.a Ôú;h u weh ù yudrh' Tyqg oi; wef.a rej jeù fmfkkqfha tneúks' udkj iïnkaO;d f.dvk.d .ekSfï § .=Kd;aul mCIfhka woH;k ;rek mrmqr miœ.uS ;;ajhl miqfj;s' ta Wfoid Tjqkag ksjerÈ ud¾f.damfoaYhla iemhSu iïnkaOfhaka o l,dlrejd lem úh hq;= fjhs' ’;reKfhl= ;reKshlf.a fifkyi me;sh hq;= jkafka flfiao@’ hkak iïnkaOfhka Tjqkg ,efnk u. fmkaùu fun÷ kï Bg ,efnk m%;spdrh .ek ljr kï l:do@ —fl,af,a fl,af,a iqÿ fl,af,a wdof¾ fokjo fl,af,a '''''˜ hqj;shlf.a wdorh ieye,a¨fjka ie,lSug uk lshk fun÷ .S; rpkd ksid isÿ ù we;af;a Ôú;fha ienE wre; fkd±k" ;eKhskaf.a uyÕ= Ôú; j,a u;a ùuhs' iajlSh j.lSu ukd fldg m%;sfõo fldg .;a l,dlrejd ;reK yoj; iam¾Y

lrñka Tjqkaf.a nqoaêh wjÈ lrkqfha fufiah' —kq. fijKla fia Tng - fijK ioka kï <ÿks uo mjkla fia Tng - isys, iokakï <ÿks˜ iycfhkau fi!uH;ajhg fldau<;ajhg Wreulï lshkakd jQ ia;%S j¾.hd wruqKq fldg weu;sh hq;= jkafka tjeksu jQ fldau< yo nilsks' ia;%S - mqreI fm%auh CIKslj idod f.k ri ú¢h yels wdydrhla fuka ,>q fldg fkd;ld ta yd ne£ mj;sk Ôjk h:d¾:fhys m;a,g u ls|d nei iajlSh Ôú; wdf,dalj;a lr .ekSu ;reK m%cdj i;= j.lSu nj

fh!jkhka jQ l,s hï rgla fyda cd;shla i;= uyd¾I Yla;s m%jdyhhs' fulS Yla;s m%jdyh udkisluh jYfhka Wiia uÜgulg f.k tkq jia l,dj i;= YlH;dj iq¿mgq fkdfõ fmkajd §ug fujka l,d lrefjda kka úO whqßka h;ak or;s' ia;%S - mqreI jYfhka nkaOk.; ù tys .eUqrg lsño ne,Su Wfoid flfrk werhqu jQ l,S yqÿ .%duH iajrEmfha tlla fkdúh hq;=h' h:djfndaOfhka hq;=j tla ùfuka muKla th wdOHd;añl nkaOkhla njg m;a jkq we;' iudcfha ±fjk m%Yak ms<sn| h:diajrEmh fy<s lrñka ;reK mrmqr {dkuh jYfhka ikakoaO lsÍfï j.lSu o l,dlrejd i;=fõ' ta fufyjrg odhl jQ l,dlrefjda whqla;shg tfrys j ke.S isàug ;reKhka iún, .ekAjQy' —oÕ f.hs oËqjï ishque,s jevkï w¨f.daiqjfka t,a,dmka lgq bUqf,a wm t,a,dmka

hq;a;sh Wfoid lE fudr §uhs oÕfohs ,Eug wm ieu l< mj uqljdvï ne| tll= kik l, oksjq iqjyila ;j WmÈk nj ''''' ˜ foaYmd,k lv;=rdfjka jeiS .sh fujka iudc h:d¾:hka ishQï f,i úksúo olsñka ;reKhkaf.a cjiïmkak Ndjh wjÈ lr bka iudc fufyhla bgq lrùug Tjqka fmd<Ujd jvd hym;a wkd.;hl udj; bÈ lrùfï wdOHdY mfil ;nd isr.; ùu ;j;a tla isÿùula f,i ir,j w¾: l:kh lf<dayq o fõ;a f.aula §,d .sh wjqreoafoa - je,slv b|,hs t<shg wdfõ' weoao udi yhla ysf¾ - lÜg lEj fyd|g wfka' t<shg wdj ux ''''''' h:d¾:fha wdf,dalh olskakg bv fkd§ ñ:Hfõ we÷ßka ;reKhd wdjrKh lr ±óug fjr orK Bkshd l,dlrejka ksid iudch wjk;shg hdu j¾;udkfha m%n, iudc w¾nqohl ;rug W.% jQ .eg¨jla njg m;aj we;' ;reKhd Wfoid l,dfõ ld¾hNdrh Ndr¥r jQjla nj fuf;la isÿ lrk ,o ú.%yh wkqj m%;HlaI fldg .; yelsh' iqka jQ m%d¾:kd ksid kejqï ,o ;reK is;a ikyd Tjqkf.a wfmaCId ;reKhd Wfoid l,dfõ ld¾h Ndrh ndr¥r jQjla nj fuf;lA isÿ lrk ,o js.%yh wkœj m%;HÌ lr .; yelsh' iqkA jQ m%dra:kd ksid ;ejqï ,o ;reK is;a ikyd Tjqkaf.A wfmaÌd o,ajd udkisl jYfhka Tjqka Yla;su;a lsÍu" fma%ufha fi!kao¾hh w¾:dkaú; j y÷kajd §u" udkj iïnkaO;d úêu;a j f.dvk.d .ekSu iïnkaOfhka l%uj;A iy ksrjoH ud¾f.damfoaY iemhSu" ;reK is;a i;kaj, cks; jkakd jQ yeÕSï ixhufhka hq;=j ika;¾mKh lsÍu" ish iylreg $iyldßhg ysñ f.!rjh ms<sn| ksrka;r wjOdkh fhduq lrùu" ia;%S mqreI ldhsl nkaOkhl .ïNSr w¾: Wlyd §u" ;reKhka jYfhka Tjqkaf.kA bgqúh hq;= iudc fufyjr flfrys fofk;a fhduq lrùu wd§ m%Odk j.lSï l,dlrejka i;= ld,Sk jYfhka m%uqL jk j.lSï f,i y÷kajd Èh yelsh' ^ ;j;a j.lSï rdYshla we;;a ld,Sk jYfhka jeo.;a jk j.lSï f,i y÷kd .; yels jkqfha fuu j.lSïh & fï Ndrÿr ld¾hfhys .re Ndrh ish ysiu;g .;a ienE l,dlrejkag jvd l,dfõ iSud udhsï mjd fkdo;a" l,dfõ W;a;Í;r Ndjh flf,id ouk Bkshd l,dlrejka wdêm;Hh fydn jk fujka iudchl ;reKhkaf.a muKla fkdj l,dfõ wkd.;h o wúksYaÑ; jQ;a ;SrKd;aul jQ;a wiSre wjia:djlg m%fõY ù we;s nj jika l< fkdyels i;Hhls'

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Edexcel HND more affordable @ ESOFT

ESOFT Computer Studies, which is a well known name in the Sri Lankan Training and Education field, also offers Edexcel International’s Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes.

Having realized what the customer is asking for, we have decided to offer the programme at a very competitive price of Rs. 125,000 during this season.

including the University of Colombo BIT Degree, University of Moratuwa BIT Degree, and the British Computer Society Professional Examinations.

The study options that are available include HND’s in

Even absolute beginners can join into ESOFT’s HND Programme as our goal is to ensure that everyone receives the maximum benefit of what we have to offer. Students that do not have any exposure to IT can first enter into our bridging programme (if needed).

Successfully completing this bridging programme entitles the student to a valued certificate as well. The student can then proceed onto the HND programme and continue with the normal studies with the confidence that he or she can perform well.

· Computing · Business (General) · Business (Management) · Business (HR) · Business (IT) The HND is a 18 to 24 month academic programme that can be completed either on a full time or part time basis, thereby giving the student a valuable qualification that is equivalent to the first two years of a three year British Degree. Students can then do one more year of studies to top-up their qualification with a B.Sc (Hons) Degree from a prestigious UK University, thereby earning their Degree in record time, with a minimal investment, directly via ESOFT. This partnership will be launched officially in May 2011. Students that wish to study for the final year in the UK can also be facilitated via ESOFT, as we have several partnerships with Universities in the UK and Australia.

ESOFT is well known in the training and education sector for leading the market in several products

ESOFT has been involved in the education sector since the year 2000 and has 27 branches islandwide.

Amongst these, the branches that conduct the Edexcel HND are Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kiribathgoda, Negombo, Galle, Matara, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Kalmunai and many more.

Think wisely before investing your time and money with unknown parties, as this is an investment in your future. ESOFT offers comprehensive textbooks for each module and the batches are kept small so as to provide better attention. The scholarship that is being offered is an added incentive that none can match.

For further information, please call us on 077 309 9 301 or 011 7 555 545.

You can also get more information by visiting our website at www.esoft.lk

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