HDCC job fair, education exhibition on April 28

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Over 8,000 direct employment opportunities would be created in the next two years with rapid development taking place in Hambantota.

The Hambantota airport and the Ruhunu Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Harbour would envisage over 2,500 employment opportunities.

In addition with over 3,000 hotel rooms planned for the area the leisure sector is expected to generate over 5,000 employment opportunities.

Several leading freight forwarders and other Naval and Airport based companies too would open offices in the area, creating more employment in the private sector.

All these companies would have regional offices also creating indirect job opportunity, said CEO of Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce, Azmi Thassim.

He said that in view of (HDCC) development, the Chamber too is grooming youth to meet these demands.

It is to groom youth for these opportunities that we are organising Job Fair and Education Exhibition on 28 April at Singapore Hall from 09.00a.m. to 04.30p.m.

HDCC is the foremost representative of the private sector in the Hambantota District and its mission is to act as the Gateway for development, ensuring social cohesion and economic success of the Hambantota District.

As a social responsibility, but also as a contribution to the economic development of the District, HDCC manages the Career Service Centre (CSC) and Hambantota Youth Business Program (HYBP) which provide services and benefits to young people in the community.

HDCC in collaboration with World Vision Lanka Lunugamvehera Regional Development Programme and the Hambantota District Secretariat is organising this Job Fair and Education Exhibition.

This event will be visited by vocational training institutes, Higher Educational Institutes, and small and medium entrepreneurs, skilled and unskilled job seekers in various fields and school leavers.

Job Fair and Education Exhibition has attracted over 50 exhibitors which include recruiting companies, Vocational Training Institutes, Government institutes and Service Providers.

The key functions of the CSC is to monitor employment opportunities, to match young job seekers and to arrange provision of appropriate training courses and encourage vocational training.

The HYBP aims to help young people - who otherwise would not have the opportunity - to develop self-confidence and achieve economic independence through the medium of self-employment.

Based on the experience gained in organising Job Fairs and Education Exhibitions in the past, HDCC is presently organising the Job Fair this year too, with the objective of placing unemployed youth in employment, providing them with self" employment opportunities and providing them with guidance to develop their potential and talents in vocational activities.

The chief guest is expected to be Namal Rajapaksa. Mohan Palliyaguru , well-known Lecturer at the Colombo University will be the keynote speaker.

Thassim also thanked the Sunday Observer for being the Media sponsor for this event.