Sri Lanka human resources plan aims to reshape education, build 50 professional universities, and compete in the global labour market.
Sri Lanka human resources development will be the government’s main strategy to compete in the world’s most advanced labour market, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.
The President said Sri Lanka does not possess commercially valuable natural resources such as oil, gas, or gold.
However, he said the government plans to develop the country’s strongest resource — its people — to win a greater share of the global labour market.
President Dissanayake made these remarks while addressing a public rally held at the Galagedara Public Grounds.
Speaking further, the President said that just as there is a global market for goods, there is also a global market for labour.
He pointed out that Sri Lanka currently holds only a very low-level share of that labour market.
The President revealed that among Sri Lankan workers currently going abroad, only 3.5% leave for professional-level jobs.
He said nearly 96% leave as trained, untrained, semi-trained workers, or domestic helpers.
President Dissanayake said the government intends to completely transform the country’s education system to change this situation.
He said the goal is to prepare Sri Lanka to capture a share of the world’s advanced, technology-driven labour market.
Accordingly, the government expects to establish 50 professional and technical universities across the country by 2032.
The President further explained that two main pathways will be opened for future generations.
One pathway will be the existing state university system, which is related to academic knowledge.
The second pathway will be the newly established network of 50 professional universities, focused on vocational careers.
The President emphasized that Sri Lanka’s greatest strength lies not in natural resources, but in its human resource.
“We still have no oil, no gas, no gold reserves, no graphite reserves. Our main resource is this human resource. Therefore, by bringing about a massive transformation in education, we will develop this human resource and capture a share of the most advanced labor market in the world,” he said.
