SriLankan Airlines partners PIM and University of Colombo

SriLankan Airlines partnered with the University of Colombo and the University of Sri Jayawardenepura to strengthen and sharpen the skills of the airlines leaders of the future through programs that were designed for the National Carrier.

Head of Human Resources, SriLankan Airlines, Pradeepa Kekulawala said, "Global air transport is one of the most competitive industries, and many of the Asian and Middle Eastern airlines that SriLankan Airlines is in direct competition with are widely recognised as being among the finest. It is, therefore, crucial that we continuously strengthen our managers and leaders of the future, to make our airline as competitive as possible."

One program conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, saw 22 members of the airline's 'Succession Pool' of Managers and Executives undergoing training over a six-week period from January 16 to February 27.

Another program was carried out by the University of Colombo for 37 managers and executives who had consistently been ranked best in appraisals over the last two years.

Senior Manager, Human Resource Development and Business Partnering, Buddhika Manage said, "We are appreciative of the University of Colombo and University of Sri Jayawardenepura for joining us to strengthen the future of the national carrier. SriLankan Airlines has enjoyed strong relationships with these universities and we often assist each other's developmental efforts."

The High Performers Development Program by the Management Faculty of the University of Colombo was customised to improve modern skills and soft skills which are vital to steer the organisation to the next level of growth. Its participants had been identified by the airline's management to shoulder expanded job responsibilities and need to be up to date with current market trends.

The program was conducted by an experienced team of lecturers and facilitators.