SLF TIES UP WITH BERENDINA DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (GTE) LTD

The SLF is known to be the foremost and pioneering Adult Education Centre in Sri Lanka incorporated by an Act of Parliament, the SLF Law No.31 of 1973 and has now consolidated its position as the national centre for Leadership, Education and Training. SLF functions autonomously under the purview of the Presidential secretariat and is managed by a Board.

Among its many arms, the Tourism and Hospitality Management Unit (THMU) has fallen in line with national economic development and has commenced a number of programmes to add value to the development of the country.

In the year 2013, under an agreement with the ‘Education for Knowledge Society Project’ funded by the Asian Development Bank SLF conducted a successful Craft Level Certificate Course incorporating the basic disciplines of Front Office, House Keeping, Kitchen Production & Cookery, and also Restaurant & Bar. SLF also  has an overall service portfolio for training academics for the Hotel Industry and is an accredited training centre of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (SLITHM) the former Ceylon Hotel School and job placements will be done in collaboration with the  National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA).

Berendina group is one of the leading poverty alleviation agencies in the non-government sector in Sri Lanka. It consists of Berendina Development Services, Berendina Microfinance Institute and Berendina Employment Center. Berendina operates on an annual budget of over LKR 2 Billion. Berendina Development Services (BDS) provides assistance to Youth development programs, for vocational training, Social Businesses, infrastructure development, Livelihoods, and psychosocial work targeting economically active and inactive poorest of the poor in selected rural and plantation areas.

The Tourism industry in Sri Lanka is expanding rapidly and the demand for skilled people in this field is increasing, which will help reduce the rate of unemployment in Sri Lanka. Unemployment can be attributed to various reasons. The gap between skills required by employers and the skills that exist among job seekers’ has become the major contributor to the increasing rate of unemployment among youth. Most applicants lack the “soft skills” required by the potential market. The main objective therefore of this MoU is to bridge the gap between the availability and the requirement of the job market with reference to the level of soft and technical skills related to the hospitality industry.

If you need any information regarding the next intake pls. contact Mr. Bharatha Herath, Coordinator and Senior Lecturer of the Tourism and Hospitality Management Unit of SLF on 071 8281883.

Photograph

Mr. Samantha Rathnayake, Consultant, Academic Affairs-SLF, Mr Bharatha Herath, Senior Lecturer-SLF, Mr Dulan De Silva, Chairman, Berendina Development Services, Prof. Ranjith Bandara, Chairman-SLF, Mr Jagath Pieris, Director, Berendina Development Services, Ms. Premali Wijeweera, Director Finance and Administration-SLF