Wednesday Apr 17, 2024
Wednesday Apr 17, 2024
Friday, 26 July 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka (PRISL) elected a new team to guide its affairs at its Annual General Meeting held recently. PRISL as it is popularly known, is the country’s apex body for providing education and training for employees in the plastics and rubber industry.
Heading the new team as President is a pioneer in the recycling industry in Sri Lanka, Kaushal Rajapaksa. Also elected are: Sampath Ramanayake, Vice President; Kalyana Dhirasekera, Vice President; P.P. Perera, Secretary; Lalith Jayawardana, Treasurer; and Prabath Jayasinghe, Asst. Secretary.
Making his inaugural address, Rajapaksa expressed his gratitude to outgoing President, Koendraad Pringiers, for his exemplary leadership in guiding the institute to achieve remarkable milestones over the past three years. Rajapaksa pledged to continue the trend and take PRISL to new heights.
Outlining the history of PRISL Kaushal Rajapaksa said, “The Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka was established in 1960 as the local section of The Institution of the Rubber Industry in London. With the parent body being later re-named as ‘The Plastics and Rubber Institute’, the local body was renamed as The Plastics and Rubber Institute – Sri Lanka Section. It became an independent local institute in 1994 following registration with the Registrar of Companies as the ‘The Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka’. The principal objective of PRISL is facilitating industrial development, mainly through the training and education of the employees in the plastics and rubber industries and promoting school-leavers to join the industry.”
Explaining further, Rajapaksa said, “Our vision is to be the preferred professional association in Sri Lanka to represent, advice and influence the policy makers and industrialists towards improving technology, human resources and innovation in the plastics and rubber industry in Sri Lanka and our mission is to chart the future directions of the plastics and rubber Industry in Sri Lanka by participating in policy formulation, catalysing technological advancements and disseminating knowledge whilst developing the technical skills required for the industry.”
Rajapaksa said that PRISL works very closely with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. “We have received a lot of support from the Government ministries and other entities. We greatly appreciate the support extended by the Ministry of Plantation Industries, to establish the Finite Element Analysis and Simulation Centre (FEASC) in collaboration with the Rubber Research Institute to strengthen the product design and development capability of the industry. We also collaborate with and have support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the EDB for our educational programs and for industrialists to visit overseas exhibitions.
“We have collaborative efforts with Smart Expo India with whom we organise an annual International Exhibition on plastics and rubber, which paves the way for local and international industrialists to showcase their products and services, while encouraging local entrepreneurs to start new business ventures. We also value very much the support offered by Tertiary & Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) and the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA).”
PRISL conducts regular educational programs for those employed in the industry. These include Certificate, Diploma, Higher Diploma and Graduateship courses. The institute, which is registered at the Technical and Vocational Education Commission since 1999, has had its graduates follow the MSc in Polymer Technology Course at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura. The Graduateship course is also recognised by Cochin University as an entry requirement for the Postgraduate Degrees in Polymer Technology.
