Develop human resources to support vibrant private sector - FCCISL President

by Surekha Galagoda
 

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The private sector is the engine of growth but there is a much felt need to develop the inputs to realise the potential to accelerate this growth process, said President FCCISL, Nawaz Rajabdeen at the launch of the FCCISL-George Steuarts Academy for Professional and Business Studies at the JAIC Hilton in Colombo on Wednesday.

He said that management accountancy has assumed a predominant position in a world driven by entrepreneurship as never before and accuracy, accountability and responsibility are now increasingly vested in the profession.

As such every nation including Sri Lanka requires professional competence in areas such as business studies. Rajabdeen said that despite a serious and persistent civil conflict the country has witnessed an impressive growth on the economic front with a 7 per cent GDP growth moving Sri Lanka into the middle income status.

He stressed that one of the ways to support the vibrant private sector is developing human resources and he was confident of creating a pool of well trained individuals in due course under the guidance of widely recognised experts after the tie-up with George Steuarts headed by Group Chairman George Steuarts S. Skandakumar.

The first joint program which began on Thursday at the State of the Art Academy at Mount Lavinia will continue till March.

CEO CIMA Charles Tilley said that they are focused on developing the talents and skills of people so that they are in a position to give their best to the organisations they work.

This an incredible time for everybody around the globe with the credit crunch and 200 mln jobs being created in India and China annually.

Therefore, everybody should be talented to capitalise on the opportunities that come their way, he said.

President, CIMA Sri Lanka Aruna Fernando said that CIMA is focused on developing business education in Colombo and other areas.

We have set up help desks with the support of the FCCISL and this will definitely help every student in the country, he said.

Director HRD and Industrial Relations FCCISL, Nihal Rangala said that they have been conducting training courses for non technical managers since 1993 and we were the best provider of training in that area since 1994.

Now with the tie up with CIMA we are moving to provide professional training as well.

Group Chairman George Steuart and Co Ltd., S. Skandakumar said that the company was established 173 years ago by James Steuart.

The company practised CSR activities from then and built the George Steuarts Academy for Professional and Business Studies to improve the skills of the staff of our companies. "With us signing an agreement with the FCCISL we can now give the benefit of our academy to outsiders as well. Therefore, I am happy that this synergy will benefit mankind", he said.