The environment of Sri Lanka’s TVET system

Sri Lanka’s TVET system is characterized by a multitude of agencies including training providers of public and private sectors, standards and curriculum development agencies and a regulatory body, which is the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission operating under the purview of the ‘Ministry of Youth Affairs. National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (1NAlT A) and the University for Vocational Technology (Univotec) previously had known as the National Institute of Technical Education of Sri Lanka (NITESL) function as competency standards and curriculum development agencies respectively. The Univotec was inaugurated in 2008 with the purpose of providing education at degree level for those who come through NVQ system as well as those who work in industry and wish to acquire degree level education, The NITESL was made a faculty of the Univotec as per the provision of the Univotec Act. The NAITA functions as the leading agency in providing apprenticeship training. It manages three (03) national training institutes viz. Apprenticeship Training Institute (ATI), Automobile Engineering Training Institute (AETI) and Institute of Engineering Technology (lET),

Department• of Technical Education and Training (DTET) operates 38 Technical Colleges throughout the country as at end: of 2009, of which nine (09) Colleges have been upgraded as Colleges of Technology (CoTs) to offer diploma level courses leading to National Vocational Qualifications. The Technical Education Development Project (TEDP) funded by the Asian Development Bank provides funding for this initiative. The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) also provides funds in this program.

In the year 2007, the Technical Education Development Project (TEDP), the successor to the Skills Development Project (SDP), came into effect that mainly concentrates on activities related to NVQ level 5 and above diploma level courses and setting up of the University for Vocational Technology (Univotec) for award of NVQ level 7 degree equivalent qualification.

The Vocational Training Authority (VTA) operates a network of Rural Vocational Training Centers (RVTCs), Special Vocational Training Centers (SVTCs), District Vocational Training Centers (DVTCs) and National Vocational Training Centers (NVTCs), throughout the country. As at end of 2009, there were 270 training centres managed by VTA. The National Youth Services Council (NYSC), under’ the purview of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, organizes vocational training courses in urban as well as rural areas. In addition, a set of other public sector agencies provide training in different areas. Private sector establishments in the industry provide industry-specific TVET courses for their own workers as well as outsiders in different occupations. Registered private and NGO sector training institutions also play a key role in providing TVET in the country. As recorded at end of October 2009, there were 1,010 private NGO sector training providers in the Island.

All these developments demand different roles to be played by stakeholders of TVET.