SAC and SLF conduct shipping course

A batch of students: Seated (from third left): Coordinator, SLF, Dilhan Goonetilleke, Coordinator, SAC, M N Prabath, Director, SLF, Arunasiri, Asst Director, Licensing, DGMS, S.S. Roshini, Chairman, SLF, Prof Ranjith Bandara, CEO, SAC, Rohan Masakorala, Consultant, SLF, Samantha Ratnayake.

The Shippers’ Academy Colombo (SAC), an institution approved by the Director Merchant Shipping and its partner Sri Lanka Foundation (SLF), conducted a Certificate Course in Logistic Services, Freight Forwarding and Multimodal Transport for two batches of 70 students.

This course is mandatory, since 2011, when obtaining a licence to run a logistics and freight forwarding business. The three-month course taught students the basic aspects and principles in International Transport, Logistics and Trade (TLT) across borders. This is the only government certified course available in this field.

The SAC and SLF came into a strategic partnership to build capacity as the requirements for qualified personnel in this field was ever increasing as the country was expanding its infrastructure to cope with demand. The two institutions have affiliations with universities to offer diplomas and beyond for students who wish to further their education.

SLF Chairman Prof Ranjith Bandra, and CEO, SAC, Rohan Masakorala were instrumental in making the strategic partnership to open up new skills at the Foundation and bring in new knowledge areas to employees of the state sector and new entrants to the labour force.

The syllabus for the course was designed by the SAC with inputs of the DGMS office and has entrusted the course management to the SLF which comes under the Presidential Secretariat.

Senior and experienced lecturers from the trade, conduct lectures and guide the students to learn theoretical and practical aspects of international transportation, logistics and trade.

The certificates were awarded by chief guest Asst. Director, Licensing from the DGMS office, Ms S.S. Roshini. This course is conducted twice a year, and a third batch is now being registered. Classes will commence by the end of April.