HR leaders gather to solve Sri Lanka’s talent crisis

• President Wickremesinghe warns talent outflux will persist until at least 2026-2027
• Calls for fundamental economic changes
• Former Australian Prime Minister Morrison points out Sri Lanka must work towards giving its people a reason to stay

Sri Lanka’s workforce challenges took centre stage yesterday as local and international experts gathered to find solutions to the island nation’s growing talent drain. 
The Sri Lanka Human Resource Summit 2024, held in Colombo after eight years, aimed to explore measures and avenues to address this pressing issue.
 Since the economic crisis, over 400,000 Sri Lankans left the country in 2022 seeking better opportunities. While the numbers slightly decreased in 2023, President Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that this outflux will persist until at least 2026-2027 unless fundamental economic changes are made.

“Without such changes, Sri Lanka cannot accurately assess which sectors need talent,” Wickremesinghe told a fully packed audience at the Temple Trees.
While highlighting the potential in modernising agriculture, expanding tourism, and boosting the IT sector, he emphasised the necessity of capital to facilitate human capital formation.
“We need capital to start vocational training as many who left were vocationally and technically qualified, not graduates,” Wickremesinghe noted. He proposed establishing a single department to oversee post-school qualifications, prioritising quality over quantity.
“We must elevate our NVQ qualifications to match international standards, like those in Australia. We need to reform our system with external assistance, focusing on strengthening and modernising education rather than just building infrastructure,” he added.
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who graced the event as the guest of honour, stressed on the importance of creating strong incentives for Sri Lankans to stay. He called for continued economic reforms to stabilise the economy and boost confidence among both foreign investors and international agencies.
“Staying on the reform path is crucial. Deviating from it will undermine the confidence of international investors and agencies. The government’s efforts to restore confidence, restructure debt, stabilise the economy, and control inflation are paving the way for a better future. 
“Continuing these efforts will assure Sri Lankans of a promising economic future for themselves and their families,” Morrison said.
The event was addressed by speakers who joined in physically and virtually. Speakers included Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, Malaysia Higher Education Minister Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, World Bank Senior Education Specialist and Tertiary Education Global Lead Roberta Malee Bassett, famed customer service guru Ron Kaufman, SHRM-USA President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., NASSCOM Chairman Rajesh Nambiar, and former Invest India MD and CEO Deepak Bagla among others.