Sri Lanka, China open training center to support southern development

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Sri Lanka and China on Saturday inaugurated a vocational training center in the southern part of the island country as part of a massive southern development project.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said at the inauguration ceremony that the opening of the technical institute near the Mattala International Airport would benefit the youth in the island.

"We have already launched the southern development project which will create many jobs. This project will completely change the south and benefit the people. In the coming years, people will be stunned to see the development and change here," Wickremesinghe said.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe /CFP Photo

While thanking China for providing the training facilities, he said many jobs would be created in the southern industrial zone because of this institute.

Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang said this institute would help support the southern industrial park which was inaugurated earlier on Saturday because all the projects and investors needed qualified human resources.

"There is no point having financial resources if there is no qualified human power. We should support all investors, not only Chinese but Sri Lankans and other nationalities, that if they come here to invest in this zone or in Sri Lanka, we can train them in their work," Yi said.

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang /Xinh‍ua Photo

The ambassador noted that there were more than 1.5 million Sri Lankans working in the Middle East, Europe and some other countries.

"I do believe that Hambantota will be more attractive for them to work in Sri Lanka, in the future," he said.

The southern development will create 100,000 jobs most of which have to be qualified jobs.

Yi said most of the investments will require local qualified people.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)