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Sri Lanka

Strategies for youth employment

Strategies for youth employment
Yes

Youth employment strategy planned in the next 2 years

Discussions within the government
Yes
Consultations with national-level stakeholders (e.g. employers’ and workers’ associations, youth councils, etc.)
Yes
A draft strategy already exists
No
Other (please specify)
No

Countries with national action plans for youth employment

Monitoring framework (timeline and activity/outcome indicators, e.g. youth labour market indicators)
Yes
Funding (indicative budget to implement the plan)
No
Institutional responsibilities (e.g. ministries/agencies in charge of specific planned activities )
Yes
Other, specify
No

Public funding for the national youth employment strategy

Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
No

Youth in the national development / employment strategy

Youth in the national development / employment strategy
Yes

Additional information:
The National Human Resources and Employment Policy for Sri Lanka

Countries with national goals for youth employment

Countries with national goals for youth employment
Yes

Additional information:
Youth employment is one of the key strategic areas of intervention described in the Sri Lanka National Youth Policy. National goals include: - Improving the equal accessibility, relevance and effectiveness of the education system; - Ensuring that education provides the knowledge and basic skills so as to facilitate the transition from education to work; - Improving the relevance and effectiveness of the training system at various skills levels for needed occupations; and - Ensuring the training system is sensitive, readily responsive and flexible to changing labour market needs.

Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment

Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
No

Policy areas in national youth employment strategies

Macroeconomic and Sectoral policies
Yes
Enterprise Development
Yes
Education, Training and skills development
Yes
Labour Demand
Yes
Labour Law and Legislation
Yes
Labour Market Policies
No
Other (please specify)
No

Social partners' inclusion in the youth employment strategy

Workers
Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
Consulted
Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
Informed
Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
Consulted
Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Employers
Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
Consulted
Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)

Youth-led organizatios' inclusion in the national strategy

Fully involved
Yes
Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
No
Consulted
No
Informed
No
Not involved
No

Countries with national partnerships for youth employment

Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
Yes

Additional information:
2024: There are several programs running with several oraganizations under the support of UN organizations. --- 2022 survey: Department of Manpower and Employment has collaboratively worked with Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to promote youth employment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2020 survey: The Department of Manpower and Employment has partnered with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and YouLead (an US funded project) to promote employment services for youth jobseekers island-wide.

Inclusiveness of vulnerable groups in national strategies

Women
Yes
Migrant Workers
Yes
NEETs
Yes
People with disabilities
Yes
Low skilled workers
Yes
Rural workers
Yes
Other (please specify)
No

Youth employment strategies and international cooperation

Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
Yes

Additional information:
2024 ILO - formulation and implementation of a time-bound youth employment action plan that operationalizes the youth employment priorities USAID - Increase youth employability skills in targeted sectors IYF - empowering thousands of young women with job readiness training ---- 2022: ILO - Promote youth employment of the PWD's (People with Disabilities) , Migrant Workers , Enhance the skills of youths. ILO has provided technical and financial support for; 1. Formulation of NHREP 2. Formulation of Decent work country program 3. Establishment of National PES system and online web portal 4. Conducting capacity building program for government officials 5. Implementing various other programs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2020: ILO has provided technical and financial assistance for the followings: 1. Formulation of National Human Resources and Employment Policy (since 2010) 2. Formulation of National Action Plan for Youth Employment (in 2017/18) 3. Formulation of Decent Work Country Progamme (DWCP) for Sri Lanka, and implementation & progress evaluation thereto 4. Establishment of National Public Employment Service (NPES) system, online job portal and District PES centers island-wide 5. Conducting Progress Evaluation of PES system in Sri Lanka and capacity building for PES staff. 6. Numerous projects implemented with Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Skills Development, and other public sector organizations; Employers Federation of Sri Lanka and other national-level employer organizations; Trade unions and employer representations, to increase public awareness on Decent work, right at work, labour legislations, industrial safety, and many other measures. Several other International Donors, such as the World Bank, UNDP, IOM etc; and donor agencies of developed countries such as USAid, AusAid, JICA, are also involved in promoting productive employment, income security and other initiatives that have direct relevance to youth employment.