Hela Apparel celebrates over 100 graduates at NIBM Certificate Award Ceremony

Hela Apparel Holdings celebrated the accomplishments of over 100 graduates during a certificate award ceremony held at the NIBM Auditorium in Kurunegala. 

This event recognised participants of the IT and English courses provided under the Hela Diridaruwo initiative and the Techno Entrepreneurship Course held under the Hela Diriliya initiative, both conducted in partnership with NIBM, as well as trainers certified as Training Specialists through the RISE Programme. These initiatives, part of Hela’s Social Capital Projects, reflect the company’s commitment to empowering individuals and fostering sustainable community development.

The Diridaruwo initiative supports the education of employees’ children through scholarships, career guidance, and skill-building for over 800 scholars, with 40 participants also gaining employment opportunities. The Diriliya initiative nurtures entrepreneurship among Hela employees, providing over 15,000 hours of training in areas like manufacturing and marketing, while the RISE Program enhances employees’ soft skills,.

The certificate award ceremony was graced by representatives from Tesco, Berendina, NIBM, and Hela’s leadership team, alongside program beneficiaries and trainers. Notable attendees included Azmina Kareem – Head of Sourcing Tesco Sri Lanka, Sampath Wijepala – Senior Specialist – Responsible Sourcing, and Prasanna Fernando – Senior Technical Manager from Tesco; Dayantha Fernando – General Manager – Berendina Development Services, and Githmi Gunasekara – Project Coordinator from Berendina; and Dr. Himendra Balalle – Head Consultancy, and Cyril Gunarathne – Head Kurunegala Campus from NIBM.”

“This event underscores the transformative impact of strategic social initiatives and the power of collaboration,” said Davina Kern, Chief People Officer at Hela. “We are incredibly proud of the graduates and excited to see how these programs will help them shape brighter futures for themselves and their communities.”

The certificate award ceremony represents a key milestone in Hela Apparel Holdings’ journey to empower individuals, strengthen communities, and drive sustainable development.