Outwardbound Training for Graduates

by Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Protest campaigns by unemployed graduates demanding employment is a common scene in the country today. But if one looks at the number of employment opportunities advertised daily in the newspapers private sector will made him to think that it is not so.

On the other hand many entrepreneurs complain about the difficulty in finding suitable people for the vacancies available in their business places. Although we have a good higher education system some entrepreneurs are reluctant to employ graduates (specially arts) who pass out from the universities in Sri Lanka.

Fortunately the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce of Sri Jayawardanapura University has been able to produce a dynamic set of students to bridge this gap through an "Outward Bound Training Programme with the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa.

Forty Nine of them both girls and boys went in search of new horizons for ten days recently. They were titled as Scorpians and Dragons on arrival by energetic training team at the Military Academy Diyatalawa.

The programme began making the students feeling adventurous, full of confidence, and determined. The program included leadership, communication, team work, confidence building and time management exercises under the guidance of the Commandant of Military Academy Brigadier Janaka Walgama and supervision of his team.

This experience gave them an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained through the academic programmes to develop their skills.

On their return after completion of the programme their comments were as follows." "We learnt a hell of a lot" "There is no other place like SLMA" "We unleashed our potential in Diyatalawa" Most interestingly one student said "It was the Sri Lanka Army before, but now it is our army" he said with patriotic feelings.

This is the kind of generation our country needs today. We really need millions of patriotic people. If all the university students in the country could get such an experience the country will not see any more d

A certificate award ceremony for the students was held at Wadduwa Holiday Resort where they made Vice Chancellor, Professor Narada Warnasuriya who was the chief guest was highly impressed by their transformation.

The students were appreciative of the Dean of the Faculty of Management H. Silva and his staff and the team of instructors at the Military Academy.