Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva advised the authorities of educational institutions including maritime universities to take steps to start more training courses to guide Sri Lankan youths for jobs in the maritime sector. The Minister gave these instructions during a special discussion held at the Ministry on September 21 with the authorities of Maritime Universities and Institutions. In this discussion, measures to be taken to increase the number of seafarers and job opportunities in Sri Lanka were discussed. Accordingly To train untrained seafarers in the service of tugboats in the port, getting jobs and training opportunities on foreign ships in consultation with foreign embassies, obtaining employment and training opportunities by foreign shipping companies operating in Sri Lanka, providing proficiency certificates promptly to those who have completed training by private universities and institutions.
Minister NimalSiripala de Silva pointed out that about 10% of the young workforce in countries like the Philippines is employed in the Naval industry and that they earn a large amount of foreign exchange for the country. The authorities stated that annually about 8,000 seafarers signed contracts with the Merchant Marine Secretariat and worked on ships. A group of officials including K. D .S. Ruwanchandra, the Secretary of the Ministry, W.S. Weeraman, the Chairman of the Shipping Corporation, Ajith Senaviratne, Director General of the Merchant shipping Secretariat, participated in this event.
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