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305 – Sri Lanka’s National Strategy on Tertiary, VocationalEducation, and
Training Provision for Vulnerable People of 2010, Sri Lanka
Responsible body: Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training (formerly Ministry of
Youth Affairs and Skills Development)
Country of implementation: Sri Lanka
Beneficiaries targeted: Six vulnerable groups (Disadvantaged women, People with disabilities,
Disadvantaged youth, The poor, persons affected by conflict, Family members
of migrant workers).
SUMMARY
The National Strategy on Tertiary, Vocational Education, and Training Provision for Vulnerable People of 2010 was
developed in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), to convert Policy No. 80 on the design of
customised TVET/livelihood training for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups into action, which is part of the National
Policy Framework on Higher Education and Technical & Vocational Education of 2009.
CONTEXT/P ROBLEMS TARGETED (WITH ADDITIONS FROM THE ZERO P ROJECT T EAM)
In Sri Lanka, vulnerable groups are marginalized from mainstream educational and training provision due to various
barriers - economic, social, environmental and geographic - and other constraints. In addition, natural disasters and
adverse weather conditions, landslides, etc. and manmade conflicts, too, have contributed to the rise of people who are
vulnerable due to displacement. Even though mainstream formal Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) exist, who could
potentially accommodate people with disabilities, none of them actually does. A small number of those with disabilities
is accommodated under the rural apprenticeship scheme through National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority
(NAITA). There are two issues that need to be addressed; one is that training institutes need to become far more
inclusive and accessible, and, second, vulnerable people have often insufficient knowledge regarding existing services,
inability to afford the costs, reaching the training centers due to inaccessible public transport, etc.
The Tertiary and Vocational Education Act No. 20 of 1990 is the main legal document guiding TVET in Sri Lanka. It
stipulates the establishment of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC). The TVE (Amendment) Act
No. 50 of 1999 reconstituted TVEC as a statutory body. Amendments to the existing Act were suggested in 2012 and are
currently under consideration.
As a first step towards formulating a Policy and Strategies for addressing skills needs of vulnerable people in Sri Lanka, a
National Consultation Workshop on “Skills Development for Vulnerable Groups” was held in July 2008, jointly organized
by TVEC and International Labour Organization (ILO). The National Consultation was attended by stakeholders
representing Public, Private, and NGO sectors, and Donors. In 2009, a National Policy Framework on Higher Education
and Technical & Vocational Education was formulated by the National Education Commission and the Tertiary and
Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), which outlines a framework for tertiary education. This framework sets the