FCCISL and NCASL to train personnel in construction industry

The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) will intensify their cooperation in the field of vocational training for the construction industry personnel. NCASL chairman H. K. Dharmadasa, and FCCISL president Nawaz Rajabdeen, signed the MoU at a ceremony recently.

After the tsunami of December 2004 and the ensuing need for reconstruction, the construction industry of Sri Lanka is facing a severe shortage of skilled personnel and lacks around 40,000 trained persons.

The NCASL and FCCISL project, a private-sector initiative aims to overcome this shortage by training staff as well as upgrading unskilled personnel. Apart from that, the training centres will cater to tsunami-affected entrepreneurs and young people from tsunami-affected families.

The first centre in the Kalutara district is currently under construction. The second centre will be set up in Ampara and the third in a new location.

Under the MoU the two parties agreed to set up a joint Board of Management (BoM) comprising a representative from the NCASL and Chairman, Representative of FCCISL as the co-chairman, Representative of NCASL Member, Project Director, Back to Business Project of FCCISL - Member and Resident Project Director of Handwerkskammer, Koblenz, Germany - Member. In the case of the Centre in Kalutara the Chief Incumbent of the Sri Nandana Maha Pirivena and Sri Pushparamaya will serve as the Chief Advisor of the Board of Management.

One of the key tasks of the Board of Management is to adopt strategies to make all Centres sustainable. The BoM will draw its expertise from both organisations as well as Germany's Handwerkskammer (Chamber of Skilled Crafts) Koblenz. The board of management will be in charge of setting up and managing training centres for construction-related crafts such as masonry, carpentry, welding and electric wiring.

Funds for the centres are provided by the Governments of the Netherlands, Germany, the German State of Rheinland-Pfalz and Handwerkskammer Koblenz.

Bandula Hennadige, Snr. Program Officer of the Royal Netherlands Embassy and other representatives from the partner organisations, Peter Rechmann of Chamber Development Project - Handwerkskammer Koblenz, Kosala Wickramanayake, Snr. Vice President, Tissa Jayaweera, Vice President, Samantha Abeywickrama, Secretary General of FCCISL, Sam Stembo, Project Director, Back to Business Project-FCCISL, M. Jayamanna, Secretary and Saliya Kaluarachchi, Director of NCASL were also present.