Automobile engineering workers felicitated under the Caltex Scholarship Programme

Chevron Lubricants Lanka Plc, manufacturer and marketer of Caltex branded Lubricants in Sri Lanka felicitated the students from the initial five batches of the Caltex Automobile Engineering Scholarship Program at a formal ceremony presided by Dullas Alahapperuma, Minister of Youth Affairs.

Key officials from the Ministry such as the Deputy Minister and the Secretary, as well as senior representatives from the National Apprentice & Industrial Training Authority, Vocational Training Authority, and other Ministry authority heads attended the event. The course was an initiative by Chevron to enhance the competencies of Sri Lanka’s local Automobile Engineering workforce, with the aim of setting new quality standards for performance, thereby increasing their contribution towards the industry and economy at large.

The scholarship was conducted in partnership with the Ceylon German Technical Training Institute, under the patronage of the Ministry of Youth Affairs. Launched on the on the 23rd of February 2010, the public-private partnership formed between Caltex and the Ministry of Youth affairs helped open opportunities for Sri Lanka’s youth to be abreast with the latest developments in technology in the automobile trade.

“Belonging to a global industry, the automobile sector needs to be shaped and re-shaped on a continuous basis, benchmarking regional and international markets on service quality, technology and overall performance. One way of doing this is by acquiring insight and exposure on how such units operate,” Chevron Lubricants Lanka CEO and Managing Director Kishu Gomes said.

Chevron, as one of the leading companies engaged in socio-economic development in the country, takes pride in being responsible in creating over 5000 job opportunities for the local workforce through its unique channel branding strategy. An elaborate process as followed in order to ensure the scholarship was offered to garages and service stations located island-wide.

“We do not get into anything that does not benefit our local economy either directly or indirectly. Developing a workforce with the right skills, exposure and knowledge will benefit the Automobile Engineering sector as a whole, but also set new standards in service quality, customer handling, and overall performance effectiveness,” Gomes added.

The course participants underwent a theory and practical learning session incorporating the latest technological advancements and know how, lectured by subject matter experts, with keynote addresses made by eminent industry personalities. As an added feature, a special exposure tour to Caltex OEM (Original Engine Manufacturer) partner was organised. DIMO was identified by Caltex for this purpose since it is one of the largest fleet operators in the country. Aspects such as the use of technical equipment for vehicle diagnostics in the repair and servicing of vehicles was also covered in the tour.

“We sincerely hope that through Chevron’s initiative to spearhead a project of this nature, the other industry players would also follow in our quest to promote sustainable learning through similar projects.

We strongly believe that scholarship programmes of this scope and depth will help boost the performance and preparedness of our local industry thereby uplifting the standard in service technology and delivery.

We hope to continue this scholarship programme since we believe its value and results can benefit not only the individual or customer, but also the industry at large” he continued.

As an active organisation that works closely with projects that can energize the local economy and industry development, this programme is another measure of our commitment to promote sustainable learning and development in the country’

The Caltex Automobile Engineering’ scholarship programme, amongst several other social responsibility projects carried out by Chevron, is driven largely by a commitment to socioeconomic development, based on research that considers the medical, social, economic, and cultural dynamics shaping the future of Sri Lanka.

A similar educational campaign launched by the company in October was ‘Water &Life’; a national project focused on promoting Sri Lanka’s natural water source preservation and its effects on sustainable growth.

According to the organisation, community partnerships and being socially responsible are fundamental to the broader success of the business as they assist in ways that help stimulate economic growth and enable communities to prosper.