Building the Skills for Economic Growth and Competitiveness in Sri Lanka
"Despite armed internal conflict and the global financial crisis, Sri Lanka has made remarkable progress in recent years, enjoying healthy economic growth and substantially reducing poverty. Moreover, Sri Lankans are the best-educated people in South Asia, with widespread access and high completion rates in primary and secondary education. Economic growth and structural changes in the economy, however, make skills development imperative as Sri Lanka implements its plan-the Mahinda Chintana (MC)-to become a regional hub in strategic economic areas. . Yet skills shortages and mismatches are widespread, and firms with undereducated employees and a shortage of skilled labor are less productive. An effective skills development system will help diversify the economy; improve labor productivity and competitiveness; give the country the flexibility it needs to compete effectively in the global economy; and further reduce poverty.

As Sri Lanka moves from a factor-driven to an efficiency-driven economy, its workforce is shrinking even as demand for skills-especially sophisticated skills-is rising. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has been slow to expand technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and tertiary education. Responsibility for TVET is fragmented; the system is supply-driven; there is a shortage of reliable information on labor market skills demand and supply; employers are sidelined; and the resources invested are not linked to performance.

The MC recognizes the severity of the skills constraint and highlights the importance of investing in workforce skills to raise both productivity and competitiveness. This report analyzes skills demand and supply in Sri Lanka and scrutinizes how skills are formed, the factors shaping skills demand, and the responsiveness of the system. Finally, it offers suggestions for how skills development can be improved so that Sri Lanka can meet its economic growth and poverty reduction goals."

1117918130
Building the Skills for Economic Growth and Competitiveness in Sri Lanka
"Despite armed internal conflict and the global financial crisis, Sri Lanka has made remarkable progress in recent years, enjoying healthy economic growth and substantially reducing poverty. Moreover, Sri Lankans are the best-educated people in South Asia, with widespread access and high completion rates in primary and secondary education. Economic growth and structural changes in the economy, however, make skills development imperative as Sri Lanka implements its plan-the Mahinda Chintana (MC)-to become a regional hub in strategic economic areas. . Yet skills shortages and mismatches are widespread, and firms with undereducated employees and a shortage of skilled labor are less productive. An effective skills development system will help diversify the economy; improve labor productivity and competitiveness; give the country the flexibility it needs to compete effectively in the global economy; and further reduce poverty.

As Sri Lanka moves from a factor-driven to an efficiency-driven economy, its workforce is shrinking even as demand for skills-especially sophisticated skills-is rising. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has been slow to expand technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and tertiary education. Responsibility for TVET is fragmented; the system is supply-driven; there is a shortage of reliable information on labor market skills demand and supply; employers are sidelined; and the resources invested are not linked to performance.

The MC recognizes the severity of the skills constraint and highlights the importance of investing in workforce skills to raise both productivity and competitiveness. This report analyzes skills demand and supply in Sri Lanka and scrutinizes how skills are formed, the factors shaping skills demand, and the responsiveness of the system. Finally, it offers suggestions for how skills development can be improved so that Sri Lanka can meet its economic growth and poverty reduction goals."

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Building the Skills for Economic Growth and Competitiveness in Sri Lanka

Building the Skills for Economic Growth and Competitiveness in Sri Lanka

Building the Skills for Economic Growth and Competitiveness in Sri Lanka

Building the Skills for Economic Growth and Competitiveness in Sri Lanka

Overview

"Despite armed internal conflict and the global financial crisis, Sri Lanka has made remarkable progress in recent years, enjoying healthy economic growth and substantially reducing poverty. Moreover, Sri Lankans are the best-educated people in South Asia, with widespread access and high completion rates in primary and secondary education. Economic growth and structural changes in the economy, however, make skills development imperative as Sri Lanka implements its plan-the Mahinda Chintana (MC)-to become a regional hub in strategic economic areas. . Yet skills shortages and mismatches are widespread, and firms with undereducated employees and a shortage of skilled labor are less productive. An effective skills development system will help diversify the economy; improve labor productivity and competitiveness; give the country the flexibility it needs to compete effectively in the global economy; and further reduce poverty.

As Sri Lanka moves from a factor-driven to an efficiency-driven economy, its workforce is shrinking even as demand for skills-especially sophisticated skills-is rising. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has been slow to expand technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and tertiary education. Responsibility for TVET is fragmented; the system is supply-driven; there is a shortage of reliable information on labor market skills demand and supply; employers are sidelined; and the resources invested are not linked to performance.

The MC recognizes the severity of the skills constraint and highlights the importance of investing in workforce skills to raise both productivity and competitiveness. This report analyzes skills demand and supply in Sri Lanka and scrutinizes how skills are formed, the factors shaping skills demand, and the responsiveness of the system. Finally, it offers suggestions for how skills development can be improved so that Sri Lanka can meet its economic growth and poverty reduction goals."

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781464801587
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Publication date: 03/06/2014
Series: Directions in Development
Pages: 211
Product dimensions: 7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Acknowledgments xv

About the Authors xvii

Acronyms xix

Overview 1

Introduction 1

Background 3

Main Findings 6

Strategic Priorities 14

Notes 20

Bibliography 20

Chapter 1 Introduction 23

The Economic and Labor Market Context 24

Approach, Methodology, and Data Sources 31

Notes 37

Bibliography 37

Chapter 2 General Education and Training in Sri Lanka: An Overview 41

How the TVET Sector is Structured 43

Enrollment Trends 48

Performance of the TVET Sector 49

The Informal Sector: Skills for the Unskilled 53

Conclusion 54

Notes 56

Bibliography 56

Chapter 3 Skills Demand in Sri Lanka 59

Introduction 59

Skills Constraints: Existence, Nature, and Consequences 60

Skills Constraints: Coping Strategies 71

Conclusion and Policy Options 76

Notes 78

Bibliography 78

Chapter 4 Skills Supply, Education, and Labor Market Outcomes 81

Introduction 81

Education and Skills Profile of the Workforce 82

Skills and Labor Market Outcomes 92

Conclusion and Policy Options 98

Notes 102

Bibliography 102

Chapter 5 Cost and Financing of Technical and Vocational Education and Training 107

Introduction 107

Expenditures in the Aggregate 108

Expenditures, Efficiency, and Funding 117

Governance and Management 133

Conclusion and Policy Options 146

Notes 148

Bibliography 150

Chapter 6 Private Provision of Technical and Vocational Education and Training 153

Introduction 153

Types of Private Sector Engagement 154

Skills and Labor Market Outcomes of Graduates 157

Regulation and Financing of Private Providers 162

Discussion 165

Conclusion and Policy Options 170

Note 172

Bibliography 172

Chapter 7 Firm-Based Training in Sri Lanka: A Brief Overview 173

Introduction 173

Firm-Based Training in South Asia and Other Regions 174

Firm-Based Training in Sri Lanka 175

Consequences of Firm-Based Training 178

Employer Perceptions of the Quality of Firm-Based Training 179

Conclusion and Policy Options 180

Notes 182

Bibliography 182

Chapter 8 An Assessment of Workforce Development Policies 185

Introduction 185

The SABER-WfD Framework and Diagnostic Tool 185

Sector Context 187

Benchmarking of WfD Policies and Institutions 188

Key Findings 196

Conclusion and Policy Options 199

Annex 8A Analytical Framework of SABER-WfD 200

Notes 201

Bibliography 201

Chapter 9 Main Findings and the Way Forward 203

Main Findings 203

The Way Forward 205

Annex 9A Sri Lanka: Matrix of Main Issues and Strategic Priorities and Policy Options 207

Bibliography 211

Boxes

0.1 Global Evidence: Pitfalls in Skills Building 3

1.1 The Republic of Korea: How Economic Development Changed Investment in Skills Development 29

1.2 Skill Types 32

1.3 Definition of Training 34

1.4 Sri Lanka Skills Measurement Surveys 36

2.1 Shifts in Ministerial Responsibilities for TVET 45

2.2 Main Public TVET Providers 46

2.3 Training for the Informal Sector 55

3.1 Sri Lanka Enterprise Surveys and the Skills Toward Employment and Productivity (STEP) Survey 64

4.1 Soft Skills in Youth draining Programs in Latin American Countries 101

5.1 General Principles for Payroll Levy Schemes 140

5.2 Redistribution of the Vocational Training Tax in Tunisia 140

5.3 Mexico: An Information Collection Strategy 145

7.1 Singapore and Malaysia: Skills Development Funds 181

7.2 A Public-Private Partnership: The Malaysia Penang Skills Development Centre 82

8.1 Documentary Sources for the Sri Lanka SABER-WfD Assessment 187

Figures

0.1 GDP Per Capita, Selected Countries, 2011 4

0.2 Real GDP Growth Rates, Selected Countries 5

0.3 Wage Premiums in Sri Lanka, by Education and Skill Type 8

0.4 Skills Mismatches 10

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