NIOE to hone talent for Sri Lanka’s export industry

Thursday, 7 May 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The National Institute of Exports (NIOE), with the aim of honing the much required talent for Sri Lanka’s export industry, will be launching a series of qualifications targeted specifically for this sector. Its introduction marks an important step in the provision of a key set of professional qualifications for those wishing to achieve a recognised degree in this often complex discipline. Teaming up with a panel of renowned personalities from the industry that will be a part of their lecturer panel, the aim of this project is to strengthen the knowledge and expertise of those engaged in the export sector. The qualifications and the NIOE are currently going through the process of been accredited and endorsed by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka. The qualifications comprise of the Certificate Level (Certificate in International Trade Management – CITM), Advance Certificate Level (Advance Certificate in International Trade Management – ACITM) and Diploma Level (Diploma in International Trade Management – DITM). NIOE has joined hands with the Sri Lanka Foundation (SLF), who will be overseeing the quality of the programs and the qualifications while also providing the venue and the facilities for conducting classes. Making Sri Lanka’s export industry a profitable venture Outlining his thoughts on this venture and the value proposition it will give the industry NIOE Chairman Dr. Jagath Peiris stated, “Being a post war country, it is an opportune time for the Sri Lankan export sector. There is a dire need for true introspection and out of the box thinking to address productivity and competitiveness issues and to get ahead in the industry for the long term. It is time to determine Sri Lanka’s strengths compared to the current and future global buying trends. Necessary changes need to be effected with a view to putting in place a renewed, modern and effective export strategy, developed in accordance to meet with the current global reality. This in turn will render the efforts of Sri Lankan exporters to be distinctly more productive.” He added, “This means that Sri Lanka should not only venture into new export markets, systematically and sustainably increasing export sales volumes, but also introduce and implement changes to our market access strategies, methodologies and processes. It is also imperative to clearly recognise what products, services and projects have global demand and appeal and in which precise markets the potential exists.” The need for qualified personnel in the industry Dr. Peiris said, “Doing international business is a task that needs a lot of preparation, smarts and intelligence. Hence the industry needs the right kind of qualified and knowledgeable personnel who will be able to make some serious positive changes and adequately facilitate the industry to effectively ensure true export readiness .This will propel it to achieve an income that meets the government’s target of $ 20 billion by 2020. Sadly there is no specific teaching or training facility in Sri Lanka focused on the export industry. We believe that the qualifications launched by us will fill this much required gap. “Our syllabus has been drafted by an expert panel of both academic and industry personnel. It will cover international marketing, customs compliance, World Trade Organization (WTO) Free Trade Agreements (FTA) rules, non-tariff barriers to international trade, new payment terms, laws relating to export and imports, logistics, Insurance, and trade management. Whilst all the lecturers are leading local industry personnel, arrangements have been made to include sessions with foreign experts from global organisations. Benefits reaped It is a given fact that income generated by exporting products and services improve overall performance and well-being of a country’s economy by leaps and bounds by earning of valuable foreign exchange. We are confident that we at NIOE can assist in this process by training the right kind of personnel for the industry,” Dr. Peiris concluded.