|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 14 September 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Ravi K. calls youth to master their skills The youth population of the country should shift their focus from obtaining qualifications to mastering skills in securing better rewarding employment opportunities for themselves, said Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake at a meeting with corporate heads, emphasising that the country is in dearth of manpower in some vocations despite the widespread unemployment problem among youth. The 20 heads of business organisations representing industries and services such as garment manufacturing, food processing, agriculture, construction, shipbuilding, logistics, travel, office automation and tourism had pledged to create about 2000 employment opportunities before the end of the year. This is in answer to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe's request to create more job opportunities for unemployed youth and graduates, which was extended to them by Minister Karunanayake. The Minister had pointed out that employment opportunities in the country had not increased in proportion to economic recovery, as local business people are still playing it safe while overseas business enterprises had played a more proactive role in expanding their business activities, gaining momentum on the improved business environment. He said the private sector must make ways to pass the economic benefits of business expansion to the public to prevent anarchist elements getting established in the society. The business leaders said in industries such as plantations, garment manufacturing and industrial agriculture, there is a severe dearth of manpower while there is a surplus of computer operators, typists and the like. They pointed out the importance of training youth for jobs such as tea pluckers and rubber tappers, to prevent such industries collapsing in future due to lack of human resources. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
