By Zahara Zuhair
Skills Development and Vocational Training Minister Chandima Weerakkody said, his ministry would be initiating a strategy to supply skilled hands to the construction industry, as the industry is faced with the challenge of providing skilled labourers. 
“This week, I had a meeting with the Japanese ambassador and some Japanese investors. They discussed about the concerns they have about skilled labourers. So, we decided to get their requirement in advance and to immediately match it accordingly. So, I believe we need to sit together and discuss the issues you are faced with in relation to skilled labourers. We as a ministry will be taking steps to provide the number of hands the industry requires for the present and the future,” he said at the launching event of ‘Construction 2017’, which is to be held from 25 to 27 August 
at BMICH.
He said that the construction is one of the industries, which has done well in the recent past, which has seen tremendous improvement in the quality. “Our standards, I believe are not second to anyone, anywhere in the world,” 
he said. 
Held for the 17th consecutive time, the Construction  Exhibition will be organized by the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL).
NCASL Chairman said that with its modern conceptualised stalls and innovative and effectual methodologies, the exhibitor is set to cater to a vast network of people from Sri Lanka and the region. 
He said that with so much to offer, the exhibition will play a significant role in changing the perceptions of its visitors who will be directed to a more futuristic approach on par with global trends.