That tip top job

by Sajitha Prematunge

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Prasanna was a highly qualified Human Resources graduate. Having received his degree from the Bangalore University he may not have had any doubt about securing a job in Sri Lanka upon arrival. But this was not to be. A year went by, without him being able to find a job.

His whole countenance changed. He was easily irritated. When ever he was asked about the status of his job hunt, he would be furious. At the end of almost one year he started telling his friends about how frustrated he was.

As a last resort he went in search of palm readers and astrologers. It was hard to believe that this was the same boy who used to laugh at fortune telling and astrology. Prasanna is not alone in this strife.

In fact he is a representative of the thousands of job hunters. Ranging from school leavers to graduates - job hunters have a hard time securing a job - in some instances in spite of their impeccable qualifications. Most career guidance professionals see this as lack of proper guidance.

Ajith Medis, Director Career guidance unit, University of Kelaniya told the Sunday Observer that what the young generation of today lack is not intelligence, but the exposure and proficiency in the English language. Under graduates are good at writing, but when it comes to expressing ideas they are not quite confident.

The Career guidance Unit of the Kelaniya University is using a complex of workshops career fairs and lectures to combat these deficiencies. “We do not advise the undergraduates on the traditional things.”

He claims that a thousand students register at the Career Guidance Unit every year, right after inauguration. “Seminars are conducted for the rest of the batch who could not be accommodated. These seminars guide them on what sort of career they should choose after graduation.” The chosen thousand are trained on resume writing, how to face interviews, etc, during the two year programme.

The University of Kelaniya holds a career fair for the final year students every year with the participation of over 70 companies. “It has lived up to it’s reputation of one of the biggest and best in the university system.” says Ajith Medis.

Three months before the fair, more than 480 students are selected to take part in it. They are trained on skills development and what the industry requires. “They are given a 100% training, from effective communication to using cutlery. This way the companies would not be disappointed when they come to the fair.”

Ajith Medis explained that in most other career fairs no prior selection is done. Consequently the companies that take part in the fair are overwhelmed by thousands of job seekers rushing in and out of the stalls.

As he explains this is highly ineffective. In stead, to make the fair more productive, the Career Guidance Unit of the Kelaniya University requests the selected set of students to mention in the resume, preferred career and company.

Two to three weeks before the fair these resumes are sent to the respective companies. And on the day of the fair, only students who have mentioned the certain company are sent to their stall. “230 out of the 480 students last year, have already found jobs. More than 100 secured jobs then and there.”

He explained that the cause for this success is the process that is applied. He said that the day of the career fair - ‘the Career day’ - is devoid of lectures, allowing the students to reap full benefit of the fair. Their next career fair will include an exhibition as well and will also be open to schools.

Apart from the career fair, the Career Guidance Unit of the Kelaniya University has what referred to as Mentoring programmes. Conducted in collaboration with Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. “More than 600 undergraduates apply for this programme. We select 60 out of them by a test and face to face interviews, based on their eagerness, commitment and dedication. Proficiency in English is not an issue here.” Each CEO provided by the Chamber of Comers, is given five students and are allowed to liaise.

Ajith Medis said that they also conduct other activities in collaboration with student clubs like Ieasec and Gavel, such as the Inter University Best Speakers Contest. He said that although the Career Guidance Unit is a part of the Kelaniya University, it’s an independent unit.

“We don’t depend on the university for our funds. We earn our own revenue and nothing is free for the industry. The services are free for the students, provided that they display commitment. We are very strict on them.” The Career Guidance Unit of the Kelaniya University has reached the point of becoming a bench mark for other universities.

Head Business Operations, Jobs Net, Panitha Ratnayake told the Sunday Observer that they charge no fee what so ever from job seekers either. “The candidates can either register online or they can visit one of our 18 centres.” He explained that it’s the same for the industry.”

Candidates are guided until they secure a job. But claims that it does not stop there. They are monitored constantly and their training requirements identified. “A career guidance unit is scheduled to be launched on July 01. But all our managers are qualified and has been capable of providing the necessary guidance to the candidates.”

He further explained that by establishing the new career guidance unit they hope to focus on ‘soft skills’ in stead of ‘hard skills’ a definitive factor required by the industry. “We hope to train our candidates on simple things as PR skills, telephone etiquette and punctuality. This is what the industry requires.”

Anusha De Silva, a Job placement Officer of the Vocational Training Authority, under the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training, explains that the biggest obstacle they face is not the lack of jobs to place people in, but in fact the peoples lack of response.

“We are also forced to battle with attitude problems ingrained in Sri Lankan culture. All parents want their children to become doctors, engineers or lawyers. But some trainees that under go our programme are ultimately able to secure better paid jobs.”

The Vocational Training Authority which started in 1995, is now a fully blown operation, with Technical Training Schools and NAITA (National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority) centres island wide. “We conduct 71 courses in over 230 centres around the country. A few more centres are in the developmental stage.” said Anusha.

“Our target group is school leavers for whom the Vocational Training Authority conducts training in construction, mechanics, electronics and electrical fields. The trainees have to have passed the ninth grade, but for fields like draughtsmanship, higher requirements have to be fulfilled. We also conduct courses on fields like beauti-culture, sewing, jewellery designing and foreign languages.”

She claims that all the centres under the Vocational Training Authority adhere to national standards and have a common syllabus. “The best thing about our courses is that the trainees graduate with a certificate issued by the government, which is valid anywhere in the world.”

Armed with this certificate the students can enter one of eight Technical Colleges established in different provinces, from where they can obtain diplomas. A Technical Training University has already been proposed. “One of the major obstacles we would face in establishing the university is the lack of qualified instructors.” said Anusha.

Nishantha Ranaweera, Staff instructor of the Vocational Training Authority told the Sunday Observer that most of the candidates when they come to the Authority, are frustrated and fed up with life, almost all lack proper career guidance.

“They are mostly kids who weren’t able to get through their ordinary level exam. What we try to do first is heal their minds. We show them that they can stand a chance at entering a university and obtaining a degree in their respective fields. This boosts their self confidence immensely.” He also explained that they focus mainly on reforming and enhancing the trainees knowledge, skills and attitudes.

“Quite often the complaint that the industry makes is the attitude problem of the candidates. They have problems about conforming to rules set forth by the companies. We also teach them how to work by the book and simple matters like the importance of punctuality and cleanliness.” He also claimed that they, as instructors try to drive home the fact that no matter how talented and educated you are, you will not be successful if you don’t have the right attitude.

During the course, Nishantha Ranaweera claimed, they are taken to various exhibitions to bring the trainees up-to-date with top notch technology. They are given a further on the job training of six months with top companies in the business, at the end of the course. Then the trainees face a final assessment and are graded accordingly. “We can see an immense different between their state of psychology when they come to us and after they graduate. They leave with an immense admiration for the field and a lot more self confidence.”