The fifth NVQ Certificate Awarding Ceremony of the AYS Gnanam Construction Training Academy - Tokyo Cement’s educational corporate social responsibility initiative and one of the leading private training facilities of the country dedicated towards construction industry training, was held recently, at the Training Academy.

The ceremony was held exclusively to award certificates to 90 Army personnel who qualified in the National Vocational Qualification test, conducted by Assessors of the National Apprentices & Industrial Training Authority (NAITA).

This memorable occasion was attended by Brig. K.D.C.G.J. Thilakaratna RSP, Lt. Col. D.R.N. Hettiarachchi RWP, representatives NAITA and National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) and senior management of the Tokyo Cement group.

The certificate recipients successfully completed the NVQ test after attending a refresher course on the subject at the academy. Some of these young men had been in the battle front in the 30-year conflict and on conclusion of the war had been deployed on various construction-related work of the Sri Lanka Army, such as masonry, carpentry, electrical wiring. etc.

At the commencement of the ceremony, Tokyo Cement Group Engineering Consultant and Coordinator of the Academy Mouly Gunaratna explained the dedication of Tokyo Cement during the past two decades, for the development of skills of masonry craftsmen who are already in the trade and also conducting residential Training Programmes for underprivileged school leavers.

NAITA District Coordinating Officer Jayatissa Banda explained the value of NVQ certification with a revelation of startling statistics. He stated that only 2 percent of students qualify for university entry in Sri Lanka, which means the majority 98 percent need other opportunities for higher education. He added that the NVQ certification has been carefully designed to ensure acceptance in the construction industry and would ensure higher remuneration. He also noted that the certificate would open up foreign employment opportunities in the construction industry.

NCASL representative Merryl De Silva highly appreciated the service rendered by Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC to the construction industry of Sri Lanka.

The chief guest at the ceremony, Brig. K.D.C.G.J. Thilakaratna RSP, thanked the Tokyo Cement group for initiating this training programme, which has given all participants the opportunity to enhance their technical skills, and also certification that enables them to continue their vocation even after retirement.