Sri Lanka Ports Authority commences training course for producing skilled seafarers in Sri Lanka

(From left) SLPA’s Director (Human Resources Development) – Nalin Aponso, Managing Director – Upul Jayatissa, Chairman – Capt.Nihal Keppetipola, Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, U.D.C.Jayalal, Country Director for the ILO Country Office for the Sri Lanka and the Maldives – Ms. Simrin Singh, CEO of Manaco Marine Pvt Ltd also Member of the Board of Trustees of the IBF NUSS CBA Seafarers Welfare Fund – Capt.Nalin Peiris and Bro Suson Alonzo participating in the programme.

With the vision of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s ‘Vistas of Spledour and Prosperity’, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) recently launched a Maritime Training Course with the objective of producing highly skilled and talented sea-farers with sound knowledge on the subject in Sri Lanka.

This sailor training course is conducted by the ‘Mahapola Ports and Maritime Academy’ of SLPA under the full auspices of the International Labor Organization (ILO). 24 talented youths from low income families in various parts of Sri Lanka have been selected for this sea-farer training course conducted by the institute at a cost of one million rupees.

Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of the programme, Ms. Simrin Singh, Country Director for the ILO Country Office for the Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said that the course would be of great help to Sri Lankan youth seeking new employment opportunities in the naval and maritime sectors.

Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, U.D.C.Jayalal addressing the gathering said that the course, which was being implemented under the President’s ‘Vistas of Splendour and Prosperity,’ and on the instructions of Minister of Ports and Shipping Rohitha Abeygunawardena, would enable the youth of Sri Lanka to obtain opportunities in the naval and maritime industries that would in return fruitfully contribute for the socio-economic development of the country.

SLPA’s Chairman – Capt.Nihal Keppetipola, Managing Director – .Upul Jayatissa, Director (Human Resources Development) – Nalin Aponso and a number of higher officials of SLPA and Sri Lanka’s maritime industry also attended the event.

SLPA