Mr. Suranjith Swaris and Mr. Merril J Fernando

The Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) has collaborated with the Merrill J. Fernando (MJF) Charitable Foundation to provide tailor-made professional qualifications in sales for low income youth in the country. The agreement was signed with the MJF Foundation at the Dilmah Ceylon head office in Peliyagoda. 

Together with MJF, SLIM aims to contribute towards the increase of job readiness and enhancing employment opportunities for the participants and prepare them for a successful career in sales. Dedicated to uplift the living standards of impoverished communities, the MJF Foundation is the philanthropist arm of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Services, Resplendent Ceylon and the MJF Group. 

Conceptualized to improve sales knowledge among youth who are poised to enter the workforce, the specially designed course aims at providing a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of selling while instilling confidence in the youth to enter the job market as a sales professional.  

Speaking at the occasion, Suranjith Swaris, the President of SLIM said, “We are delighted to come together with the MJF Foundation to conduct a special sales course for the less privileged youth in the country. The corporate sector in Sri Lanka has confidence in SLIM’s Corporate Solution programs since they effectively contribute towards enhancing the performance of employees. The path of education created by SLIM programs takes employees to the helm of their careers. Experienced lecturers who are practitioners in the corporate sector for long years with exposure in sales have added immense value to the delivery of the program”. 

Further he added, “The course is designed to equip them with professional skills in sales, boost their confidence as sales professionals and increase their access to more opportunities in the local and global context. At this junction, Sri Lanka needs more professionals to drive the country towards the economic prosperity”.

Commenting about the programme, Sanath Senanayake, the Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Director of SLIM said, “The corporate solutions offered by SLIM have become much sought-after among corporates, and they always send their employees to SLIM in order to sharpen their professional knowledge and skills in sales. We offer a wide array of customised corporate solutions to address the needs of various professional groups. With the institute’s years of proven excellence in finding effective corporate solutions, we are sure that the beneficiaries of this CSR initiative will be able to enhance their education and career prospects. We hope our efforts will inspire other corporates and individuals to do more for their motherland.” 

The MJF Foundation strives to promote the future well-being of Sri Lanka. The Foundation represents an alternative economic model that transcends charity and corporate social responsibility into one that is a genuinely sustainable and fair way of doing business. 

Merril J. Fernando, Settlor of the MJF Foundation said, “Education is the key to steering a country towards achieving economic growth and development. Sri Lanka is proud of a culture that values generosity and compassion.

“It is our utmost responsibility to empower the less privileged communities in our country. We believe that if we start grooming the young people today, tomorrow will have the opportunity of a better society. Targeted programmes for youth are a strategic objective of the MJF Foundation and we work hard to identify streams of learning, which prepare youth for the future in the face of increased competition in the job market”, concluded Dilhan C. Fernando, the Director of the MJF Foundation and CEO of Dilmah. 

SLIM is the national body of marketing in Sri Lanka, and has been promoting marketing excellence and raising the status of marketing since 1970. It is a member of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL), the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA) and the Federation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL). SLIM has also received the ISO 9001:2015 certification in recognition of its superior quality management system and the ISO 29990:2010 as a Learning Service Provider (LSP), providing non-formal education and training services.