Skills for Inclusive Economic Growth (Sri Lanka)

The Skills for Inclusive Economic Growth (S4G) program is designed to support sustainable job creation and inclusive business growth along the tourism value chain in four districts, Batticaloa, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Ampara in Sri Lanka.

The Program will identify skills gaps based on market analysis, and use existing public and private tertiary providers to deliver targeted training to beneficiaries. Where appropriate training courses do not exist, or are not of a sufficient standard, the program will draw on international providers to partner with local providers to build capacity. More information on the proposed program design is available as an attachment in the ATM documents.

The Skills for Inclusive Economic Growth has three components:

• Strengthen coordination and planning, including improving the consultation processes between various parts of government and industry and skills providers, to establish updated tourism skills development plans in the four target districts;

• Provide targeted and inclusive skills development, with financing from a Skills Development Fund, to incentivise providers to offer training and business development support to groups, especially women and people with disabilities, commonly unable to access such opportunities; and,

• Strengthen the supply of training and business support, by supporting improvements in national Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) standards and incentivising providers to invest in meeting those standards.