Permanent appointments for all 51,000 graduates in Jan. and April

The granting of permanent appointments to 51,000 unemployed graduates would commence on 3 January 2022.

Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to look into the matters pertaining to the recently recruited graduates to the public sector institutes, said that Cabinet had approved the new recruitment.

He said that the initiative was being implemented in line with the concept of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to employ youth who had passed out of State universities.

Accordingly, 51,000 unemployed graduates who are currently undergoing training will be recruited as Development Officers starting in January 2022. 

The first batch of 42,500 who have completed the one-year training will be given appointments in January. 

Those who were recruited for the training in February and March 2021 will be confirmed on 1 April 2022 after completing one year.

Minister Dinesh Gunawardena further stated that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa submitted the relevant Cabinet Memorandum in February 2020 to employ the youth. 

He said the decision of the President-led Government to confirm 51,000 graduates in the public service despite the economic hardships faced by the entire world including Sri Lanka in the face of the COVID pandemic was a step forward in line with the President’s vision of strengthening the youth of the country.

The total number of appointments made under the ‘Placement of Unemployed Graduates and Diploma Holders Program’ or the ‘Confirmation of Permanent Employment of Graduates/Diploma Holders Recruited in 2020 to the Public Service/Provincial Public Service Program’, is 58,116. However, at present, the number of trainees engaged is 51,000. 

The recruits for this unemployed graduate training had to meet the required qualifications of any completed degree course recognised by the University Grants Commission, or an equivalent diploma recognised by the University Grants Commission by 31 December. 

The recruits are undergoing training under the Divisional Secretaries, various Government departments and Ministries and the Provincial Councils.