US $ 4mn KOICA grant for technical education

The Cabinet nod has been granted to enter into an agreement with the Korean International Corporation Agency (KOICA) to secure a US $ 4 million grant to implement a project aimed at enhancing the construction training courses offered by several selected technology institutes and technical colleges of the country.

Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardana on Monday sought the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to enter into the agreement with the KOICA.

According to the Government Information Department, the project is to be implemented with a US $ 4 million grant from the KOICA and US $ 441,000 funds from the Government of Sri Lanka, to improve the capacity of the construction courses in the Maradana and Ratnapura technology colleges as well as the Ratmalana and Matara technical colleges.

The project aims to provide advanced technological and professional education that caters to the global market requirements in the construction sector, which would increase the flow of skilled labour migration, instead of unskilled labour migrations, which dominate the current labour migrations out of the country.

South Korea has been emerging to be an attractive destination for Sri Lankan expats with high wages and salaries.