In order to grow this economy, it is not just productivity increases that are necessary, we must encourage the population to begin work at a younger age, work for a longer period and increase the female labor participation in the workforce. In short we must have far more people in active productive work than we currently have.
What is the employment priority of the day?
We have 1
million vacancies with people unwilling to relocate do them
We have
others who don’t have the skills to take some of the available jobs
We have
under employment in rural areas, where both male and females are not gainfully
employed and believe it is not economical to work on their land.
Why is it
not economical? Some have lost money in agriculture, where even if they had a
good harvest this year, due to surplus production around the Country in
vegetables, they have not been able to find a market and lost money and so want
another type of employment nearer home.
We have
1.5M three wheeler drivers and 500K of them are under 30 years of age, with
these young men, having no other ambition, so they will not get a skill in the
period humans gain a skill, that is under 30. So what should be the policy? The
Govt. should forbid anyone under 30 from driving a three wheeler. They can have
a motorbike, but NO three-wheeler hire or any other reason, as we can never be
sure of their true intention.
There are
so many vocational courses, and even for the hospitality industry, but there
are no takers for the courses. The VTA is CRYING out for suitable applicants.
There is no shortage of places anymore, contrary to popular perception.
The
Western Province has most of the vacancies, but people from other areas DO NOT
want to come because of the high cost of living and high food and boarding
fees, as they have to live away from home.
There is
no shortage of food in Sri Lanka so there is no hunger as a push factor to come
to Colombo District to do any of the 500,000 jobs that are available. There is
a huge shortage of drivers, housemaids and machine operators, to say nothing of
the construction workers where the basic daily unskilled wage is Rs1,500. So
why are people not coming to do these jobs? They don’t want to do heavy work.
They want office jobs or government jobs.
Ask any
farmer over 50 years. He has told his children not to farm, even driving a
three-wheeler is better. There are few new entrants into farming. Soon there will
be a severe labor shortage. I don’t know why but many women who helped in the fields
readying for planting paddy or cutting the paddy now don’t do any agriculture,
leaving it all to machines. That is fine for paddy, but at least they can grow
vegetables. They may have decided it is not remunerative to do so, and would
rather stay at home doing nothing than work in any agriculture!!!
What should be our objective?
1
To get more agricultural production in existing
land
2
To provide good quality planting material so
harvests can yield more
3
To increase the total number of people who are
gainfully employed
4
To permit those who wish to engage in farming,
the means to do so
5 To move people to where the jobs are as it is
impossible now to locate employment where people live
6
To improve Sri Lanka’s labor productivity in
all sectors, most especially in agriculture, but also industrial productivity
in export industries
7
To provide the skills needed for vacancies in
employment especially those in high demand, such as the hospitality trade
What then should be the policies?
1 Immediately introduce labor saving devices in
agriculture, that make farming attractive to the young and at least giving them
an income of Rs50,000 a month. This does not happen using old technology.
2 Coax with financial incentives, for those who
go into training for skills in high demand, hospitality, mason, electrician, baas.
3 Build low cost housing units for families in
areas of high vacancies, like BOI Zones that are desperate for workers.
4 Determine methods of getting home based women
to work in the rural areas by providing work of planting trees or growing some
crops with guaranteed buy backs. As was done with the tobacco cultivation which
the government has banned. (we destroy, we don’t introduce new means of income!
Bizarre)
5 Change land laws to ensure ownership of all
land, so that it can be rented out without the possibility of losing it to the tenant.
This will release a lot of land for cultivation to those farmers or potential
farmers who show aptitude which who have no access to land.
6 Use the media wisely, to encourage, exhort, and
show the possible avenues to improve quality of life. There has to be a path to
higher earnings, for career development.
7 Encourage education sector, schools to empower
students, before they leave, on all income earning opportunities in the
commercial world.
8 Most of all change the parent's mindset that waiting for a government job, using the influence of a politician is treason, when so many vacancies exist in the private sector. The line of applications despite all of the above for government positions is unstoppable.
8 comments:
What about extending the retirement age, and reducing the age at which people leave school by getting them 13 years comprehensive free and excellent education including the most important ones being the first two years, starting at 3 years and finishing at 16.
This immediately releases many man years to the work force currently denied
After that pay your own way.(with low interest loan facilities)
Then people will choose courses more carefully leading to available employment opportunities
Day Care facilities in rural areas
In order to encourage greater workforce participation by rural women, who now for the most part have eschewed agriculture, their children must be taken care of when they return from school. This is a big reason why mothers stay home.
How about using the 3,000 schools slated for closure, because of the lack of students and teachers in the rural areas, as day care centers, training village folk so they can also work there and earn some income too, creating a win win situation.
Later on if this is successful, the same premises can be used as a community center providing, creche facilities, pre-school, and elders kitchen, where people can gather and engage in activity that keeps them energized and satisfied.
Just a thought
There is an article complementary to this topic in the link below
https://www.educationtoday.lk/upper-middle-income-sri-lanka/
There are so many training courses available for the vacancies, and there are no takers. It has nothing to do with the shortage of opportunity, only shortage of people wanting to follow them.
No option but to ban three wheeler driving for ALL under 35 immediately, even those on the roads. Politically difficult, but this government has nothing to lose, they have everything to gain after all
We live in peculiar times.
The work ethic like the Confucian Work Ethic that China, Japan and Korea has is something we don't posses as a nation, where some minorities display it, from tradition. The Sinhala work ethic was temporary at best, and now with small families, parents tend to spoil their children and frankly don't demand the get a job after finishing school.
In other countries kids are turfed out of the house at 16, and in SL they are still given 3 sq meals in their 40s, if they are still at home and unmarried. It is simply ludicrous as we then find those in their 40s in the list of unemployed graduated demanding the state provides them with a suitable Public Sector job, when the Country is crying out for people to take the work there is
Sri Lanka seriously needs to address this issue of unfilled vacancies that are holding back the economy. I'd also add to your list to create a category of visa for "skilled migrants" and "labor" migrants that can add to Sri Lanka's productivity in areas where locals aren't cutting it. this will only add to Sri Lanka's economy and fuel faster growth than simply relying on locals who end up taking off to greener pastures abroad if they're half-way skilled!!
Spot on I totally agree with this writer.
There are many who retired at the age of 60 but capable of contributing, knowledgeable and employable. Unfortunately not been wanted by the Employers due to their age. Further more advertisements in the Newspapers are only wanting people below 50 in most cases. If the Government can do some study and make them employable not only they could contribute with their knowledge but also will not be a burden to the society.
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