John Keells presents Soft Skills workshops at the University of Moratuwa

“From this programme I was able to understand the gap between local graduates and the industry. I was also able to get a good idea about what the private sector needs and what [kind of] person they look for,” said T.H.K. Nawarathna, a Final Year student of the University of Moratuwa and participant at “The Final Step” – Soft Skills Workshops - a five-day series of soft skills workshops, conducted by John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation in collaboration with the Career Guidance Unit (CGU) of the University from 8-12 February, 2010 at the University of Moratuwa.

Conducted for the second successive year, the main objective of the programme was to enhance the employability of local graduates by changing their perspectives of employment in Sri Lanka and increasing their awareness of what the private sector expects of them. Each day’s workshop attracted an appreciative audience of approximately 350 undergraduates, mainly from the graduating batches of the Faculties of Engineering and Architecture, as well as some Faculty members.

The programme involved panel discussions by leading personalities of the private sector as well as interactive workshops by professional trainers. A wide range of topics such as Employer Expectations, Team Building and Leadership Skills, Adapting to the Corporate Environment, Personality Development and Confidence Building, Personal Grooming and Corporate Hospitality, were covered through the workshops.

“University undergraduates are the future of our nation - the wealth of knowledge, talent and potential that will take Sri Lanka forward to reach new heights in these momentous times. Through “The Final Step,” what we are working towards is making these undergraduates blossom, helping them to bring out the best in themselves, shine in their workplaces in the future and build successful careers for themselves,” said Lallith Ramanayake, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, John Keells Holdings PLC. “I also take this opportunity to express the sincere appreciation of John Keells to our eminent team of resource persons who have willingly and generously come forward to share their time, knowledge and experience.”

Prof. Malik Ranasinghe, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa, while thanking John Keells Holdings PLC for conducting such informative sessions for the second consecutive year at the University of Moratuwa, added that the impressive turnout of the students was a clear indication that such programmes are an excellent learning experience, and one which would be beneficial as they take their “final steps” out into the corporate world. “I would like to highlight the fact that previously the University and the industry worked independently, but I am happy to note that this has been successfully overcome by the involvement of corporates such as JKH, working together with the University to establish common objectives and goals in ensuring that students are able to maximize their knowledge and learning experiences.” 

The first panel discussion focussed on Employer Expectations, while the second dealt with Team Building and Leadership Skills. The eminent panellists at the discussions were Faizal Salieh, Managing Director, Amana Investments Limited, Dilani Alagaratnam, President - Human Resources and Legal, John Keells Holdings PLC, Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne CEO, Jetwing Eco Holidays, Sandya Salgado Director/CEO, Ogilvy Action. Ronnie Peiris, Group Finance Director, John Keells Holdings PLC, Ms Sharmini Ratwatte, Non-Executive Director, JKL, Chairman Environmental Foundation Limited, Dr. Harsha Alles, Director, Gateway Group, Rohantha Athukorala, Head of National Portfolio Development - Sri Lanka & Maldives,United Nations Operations (UNOPS). The panel discussions were moderated by Dr Uditha Liyanage, Director, Post Graduate Institute of Management (PIM).

Three days of interactive workshops followed, with Ms. Nayana Karunaratne of Image Consultants presenting tips on personal grooming and corporate hospitality including social etiquette. Undergraduates were also introduced to the unwritten rules of the corporate environment, how to draw up a winning CV, successfully face an interview and adapt to the corporate environment by Prasanna Perera, Director, Vishvaka Marketing (Pvt) Ltd; while Ajit Bopitiya General Manager, Group HR Browns Group of Companies, addressed the students on the important aspects of personality development and confidence building.

This was the fourth such soft skills programme presented by John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation, comprising two programmes each at the University of Kelaniya and the University of Moratuwa. Based on the overwhelming success of the programme and the growing demand for same, more programmes are planned for the future.