Berendina recognizes academic achievements of vulnerable youth

Berendina Employment Centre (BEC) in collaboration with World Vision (WV) recently conducted the certificate awarding ceremony to recognize 41 students who completed the Professional Skills Development Programme in Batticaloa. 

Students who completed the Professional Skills Development Programme with their certificates

The awards ceremony was held on 23 June at PHPF training center in Kiran in the Batticaloa district. 
The ceremony was conducted with the patronage of BEC General Manager Hemantha Harischandra and BEC District Manager Batticaloa Thinesh. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included a volunteer teacher from Germany Tofias Anne, People Helping People Foundation Founder Francis, Sunrise Hotel Pasikudah Jetwing’s Front Office Manager Sathees, Sunrise HotelTraining and Development Executive Suranga, Youth service officers in the Kiran division and parents and other invitees. 

The Professional Skills Development Programme, a three-month full time Diploma course in English, Life skills and ICT was inaugurated on 14March 2017 in the Batticaloa District. The programme implemented by People Helping People Foundation was targeted at the youth between ages of 17 to 25 who had qualified in their O/Ls and or completed A/Ls.

A student receiving a certificate at the awards ceremony

Out of the 41 students who completed the programme, 19 have been selected by companies for jobs through BEC-organized job fairs, 15 students have been directed by two institutions for their higher education and seven students have expressed interest to join an internship at Jetwing Hotel’s Management Programme. 

The objective of the programme is to develop professional skills including effective communication skills (spoken and written) and presentation skills of the participating youth. The goal is to produce self-confident individuals who would master inter-personal skills, team management skills, and leadership skills. It will also assist them in developing broad career plans, evaluate employment market, identify the organizations to gain better placements and match the job requirements with their skills.

BEC and WV were the funding collaborators of the programme which was conducted at Kiran in Batticaloa. The total course for the programme was Rs.820,000 in which WV contributed 25 percent of the total course fees and BEC bearing the balance sum.