Overseas employment for LTTE surrendees

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The members of the LTTE who surrender to Government rehabilitation camps will shortly find overseas employment opportunities under a special program, conducted by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment on the direction of Foreign Employment and Promotion Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. Under the rehabilitation program 15 LTTEers who surrendered to the Northern and Eastern District rehabilitation camps last year will be the first batch to find overseas jobs shortly.

Those who surrendered were first rehabilitated at the camps, located in Jaffna, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts and later received vocational training under the guidance of the SLBFE.

SLBFE, Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka told the Sunday Observer that

vocational training programs for LTTEers who surrender to rehabilitation camps have been expanded to recruit more such persons for foreign jobs in future.

He said they have to be rehabilitated first and later given vocational training.

It has been reported that over 100 LTTE cadres had surrendeed to rehabilitation centres.

The training programs such as sewing for females and motor mechanism, carpentry, plumbing and electrical wiring for males are conducted by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). The SLBFE Chairman also said its next objective was to introduce new skilled training programs and expand the number of centres in the Northern and Eastern districts to enable more LTTEers who surrender to rehabilitate camps to find employment abroad.