'Lanka needs knowledge workers'

In its continuing efforts to encourage Sri Lanka to be a destination of choice for business, the Employers' Federation of Ceylon (EFC) has teamed up with WorkInSriLanka to improve Sri Lanka's knowledge and human capital pool.

With a growing membership of over 580 organisations, the Employers' Federation of Ceylon is aware of the increasingly difficult task many companies face in finding and retaining top talent in Sri Lanka.

"Sri Lanka needs knowledge workers. It is time that we move out from marketing 'cheap labour' and penetrate the knowledge economy aggressively," said EFC, Director General, Ravi Peiris at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SL2College Chairman, Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarna, a key member of the WorkInSriLanka team, on Wednesday.

SL2College is a voluntary non-profit organisation that aims at improving Sri Lanka's knowledge and human capital pool by developing and retaining highly educated people.

As part of this objective, SL2College launched, 'WorkInSriLanka', a 'brain gain' initiative designed to showcase Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for professionals and businesses.

WorkInSriLanka's Program Director, Ms. Sharon Amerasinghe said that one of the key objectives of the brain gain initiative was to provide information through their web portal (workinsrilanka.lk) to Sri Lankans living abroad and thinking of returning to the country.

The initiative will also provide a network and links to key industry bodies that are attempting to source talent. Through such partnerships, WorkInSriLanka will work with the government and other bodies to improve the attractiveness of Sri Lanka as a relocation destination.

The WorkInSriLanka web portal which was launched in May this year showcases Sri Lanka as a preferred investment destination for high value industries looking to harness economic resources elsewhere in the world.

Director General, Ravi Peiris said, "We need talent. We need people with the right skills and attitudes. Therefore, we need to encourage every Sri Lankan who has the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to join the Sri Lankan workforce."