Tourism Skills Strategy and Action Planfor Ampara

TRINCOMALEE

BATTICALOA

AMPARA

POLONNARUWA

2

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. 2

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................... 3

List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... 3

List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 4

Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... 5

Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 6

Section One: Setting the Scene for the implementation plan ......................................................... 9

1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 9

1.2: Background ......................................................................................................................... 10

1.3: Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 10

1.4: Approach used to develop the SSAP .................................................................................. 10

Section Two: Development Potential and Strategic Direction of the Tourism Sector in Ampara District ............................................................................................................................................ 12

2.1: Local Economic Development Context ............................................................................... 12

2.2: Population Employment trends within Ampara ............................................................... 133

2.3: Skill shortages in Ampara .................................................................................................... 15

2.4: Skill gaps- Quality ................................................................................................................ 16

2.5: Policy Direction for the Tourism sector: National and District Levels ................................ 20

2.6: Institutional support system ............................................................................................... 20

Section Three: Challenges, Strategies and Action Plan for skills development ............................. 22

3.1: Skills path being followed by Ampara................................................................................. 22

3.2: Challenges and opportunities for skill development .......................................................... 23

3.3: Vision for the skills development of Tourism Sector in Ampara District ............................ 24

3.4: Strategies and action plan for skills development .............................................................. 25

Section Four: Implimentation and Progress Monitoring ............................................................... 30

4.1: Implementation and progress monitoring ......................................................................... 30

4.2: District Action Committee for SSAP .................................................................................... 31

Referances ................................................................................................................................. 32

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Demand for Tourism in Ampara District, 2016

Figure 2: Employment by Industry Brake-down for Ampara

Figure 3: Employers Perception to increase female participation in your work-force by District (%)

Figure 4: Percentage of respondents with vacancy sub sector

Figure 5: Ampara Skills Deficits among High Skilled Workers

Figure 6: Ampara Skills Deficits among Medium Skilled Workers

Figure 7: Ampara Skills Deficits among Low Skilled Workers

Figure 8: Employment Map of Ampara

Figure 9: Stage of Skills Development for Tourism in the Ampara District

Figure 10: Transformative framework for raising the skills equilibrium and moving towards an

inclusive growth path

List of Tables

Table 1: Public institutions providing training in Ampra

Table 2: Challenges facing Skills development in the tourism industry in Ampara District

Table 3: SWOT analysis on skills development of tourism industry in Ampara District

Table 4: Tourism sector Skills Development Action Plan for Ampara District

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List of Abbreviations

ADB Asian Development Bank

BOI Board of Investment

CBSL Central Bank of Sri Lanka

CGOs Career Guidance Officers

DAC District Action Committee

DCC District Coordination Committee

DCS Department of Census and Statistics

DDP District Development Plan

EP Eastern Province

EUSL Eastern University of Sri Lanka

FDI Foreign Direct Investment

F&B Food and Beverages

GA Government Agent

GoSL Government of Sri Lanka

HRD Human Resource Development

ICT Information Communication Technology

MDP Medium Development Plan

MSME Micro Small and Medium Enterprises

NAITA National Industrial Training Authority

PWD Persons with Disabilities

REACT Recruitment, Employment and Careers in Tourism

S4IG Skills for Inclusive Growth

SME Small Medium Enterprises

SDO Skills Development Officer

SLIATE Sri Lanka Institute of Advance Technology Institute

SLITHM Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management

SLTDA Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority

SSAP Skills Strategic Action Plan

TVEC Tertiary, Vocational Education Commission

TVET Tertiary, Vocational Education System

VTA Vocational Training Authority

VTC Vocational Training Center

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the stakeholders who supported the Tourism Skills Strategy and Action

Plan (SSAP) Ampara by taking part in the discussions, e-mail communications and consultations.

We would specifically like to thank Mr.Thusitha P.Wanigasinghe, the District Secretary, Ampara,

Mr. K.Vemalanathan, the Additional District Secretary, Mr. S.Anverdeen, Director Planning, and

all the Divisional Secretariat Officials for their committed interest and administrative support in

preparing the Skills Stratergy and Action Plan (SSAP) for Ampara.

We would also like to thank employers and associations of the tourism sector in Ampara district,

and TVET training institutions in Ampara and officials of the MSDVT, TVEC and SLTDA in Colombo

for sharing information and guiding us throughout the study.

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Executive Summary Ampara is best known for Arugam Bay, where visitors attend the annual surfing competition between the months of June, July and August. Ampara has a lot more untapped potential, ranging from abundant wild-life, eco-tourism and traditional farming techniques in Ampara, to the hot water springs, temples and monasteries in Mahaoya. There are also lots to offer visitors around Arugam Bay besides the surfing, including cultural sights and wild-life. In contrast to the other parts of the Eastern Province most of the potential is yet be discovered. Only a handful of domestic or international tourists visit Ampara. Part of the reason for this situation is due to the geographical isolation of the district, and the fact that Ampara is 8 hours’ drive from Colombo and not on route to other tourist destinations. Without further investments in the tourism infrastructure and the development of products this situation is likely to continue and Ampara will remain undiscovered to the outside world. The situation in Ampara has been compounded by market failures, a failure to link developments in Arugam Bay to developments across the region, and limited investments in skills and human resource development, all of which inhibits growth and development in the sector. There are a lot of supply and demand constraints facing the Ampara district, and the key ones are outlined below:

Demand side Supply side

• Limited investment in tourism infrastructure for middle to higher income groups

• Absence of collective efforts to promote tourism by the private sector or public-players

• Under-developed value chain for tourism

• Failure to develop tourist products

• Limited attempt market Ampara as a tourist destination

• Dominance of micro and small-scale establishments (MSMEs)

• Reluctance to employ disabled and female workers

• Low levels of skills of the employed in the tourism sector

• Low awareness on job prospects and career development opportunities in tourism sector

• Low payments to trainees during internship period

• Lack of Public Private Partnership

• Few opportunities for workplace experience or training

• Inadequate investments in skills development

• Narrow programme mix

• A dearth of qualified trainers

• Programs that are too lengthy

• Low preference towards tourism sector jobs by new entrants to the labour market

• Limited access to vulnerable groups

• Absence of local flexibility in delivery

• Low level of resources invested in skills development for tourism

• Structure and weak coordination amongst multi-institutional

• Low enrolment and completion rates of TVET trainees due to poverty

• Inadequate support for career guidance and counselling for the tourism sector

The potential for niche tourism in the Ampara district are good and there are considerable opportunities for diversification, growth and inclusive development, most significant of which include the following:

• There is a potential for increasing demand for international and national tourism in a variety of existing and new tourism markets. The district has unique tourism products due to the rich cultural, social and historical forces shaping developments across Ampara;

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• Arugam bay is already known internationally for surfing and has beautiful surrounding beaches. Currently, the bay has attracted budget travellers and back-backers for a couple of months a year. This situation needs to change, and the length of the season must expand, and more middle and higher income earners attracted to the area;

• The district has untapped potential for eco-tourism and cultural tourism. Most noticeable opportunities exist in ruins of the Digamadulla kingdom, with remains of remains of Palaces, Monasteries and Stupas. Other hidden gems in the district include hot springs and lakes around Mahaoya.

• The district also has traditional farming techniques that cannot be found anywhere else in Sri-Lanka and offer the visitor a glimpse of the old Sri-Lanka pre-colonial times. The animals, exotic bird life and virgin jungles offer something unique for the adventure tourist, most significant of which are the: Kumana National Park, Bird Sanctuary, Maduru Oya National Park and Lahugala Sanctuary.

• The district government is commitment to inclusive development and using tourism as the vehicle for achieving this goal and is starting to put in place the necessary strategies and institutional structures for reform.

• The human resource base is low by international standards, with only 15% of the districts’ population successfully obtaining a school leaving certification and a much smaller 1% holding a degree level qualification. Any development must focus upon raising the human resource base and investing in skills.

• There are 10 key providers in the district, delivering 180 programs and enrolling 5449 learners in 2016. Unfortunately, only 14 of the programs are in tourism and much smaller 160 learners are enrolled on tourism programs. Over the next couple of years, the government plans to increase the numbers working in tourism by 1,500 and the current skills system is inadequately equipped to respond to this demand.

The district government has a clear understanding of the constraints and opportunities facing the sector, and a number of reforms will provide the foundation for sustainable economic growth and reform in the tourism sector, and these are outlined in the district’s strategic plan for the next 5 years, covering a number of targeted interventions in the areas of skills development, new product development for tourism, providing access to information to tourists about the district, and increased investment in infrastructure facilities. Accompanying these reforms is the need for interventions to tackle the constraints facing the supply of skills, together with measures for generating employment through the expansion of existing businesses and the creation of new ones through entrepreneurship. The most effective way forward is through a collaborative and inclusive approach to skills development and employment in the tourism sector, across the Ampara district. The skills strategy and action plan (SSAP) provides the framework for tackling the constraints, addressing skills and labour shortages, generating jobs and for responding to the opportunities outlined above. The SSAP provides strategic direction for skills development of tourism sector for the next 3 years: 2018 to 2020 and consists of 14 action programmes including possible partner

organizations and service providers for implementation. The SSAP take on board policy directives and action programmes of the government at national, provincial and district levels. Our approach was also guided by the Provincial Skills Plan and Employment Strategy for the Eastern Province. Under this framework, approved by the Ministry of Skills, emphasis is given to tackling supply constraints and helping to ensure that the right quantity and quality of skills are produced for the regional labour market. The strategy also

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recognises that focusing upon supply is not enough, and measures are required raise demand for expanding businesses and for facilitating the creation of new ones. Accompany are initiatives for matching supply and demand, ensuring that market imperfections are tackled. A total of 14 action programmes have been identified to elevate the tourism industry in Ampara district towards a middle-skilled equilibrium stage by 2020. Some of the key action programmes include:

Develop and Implement the Work Place Based Basic Skills Development Program

Improving Beauty Therapy Services in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Recruitment, Employment and Careers in Tourism- (REACT)

Developing and Implementing Career Guidance and Counselling Resource Kit for tourism and hospitality Industry

Upskilling the skills of middle level existing workforce through Mobile Training Program

Strengthening Capacity Building of District Officers and facilitate the District Tourism Sector Job Fair and Job Matching System

Conducting the Social Marketing Campaign

Training of Surf Instructors Bakery Skills Development

The low demand for tourism sector jobs will be transformed with the support of several programmes including awareness programmes to educate school leavers on available job opportunities and career prospects in tourism sector, supporting to develop career guidance information for school leavers e.g. leaflets, role models, videos, etc. The action programmes also cover community participation in tourism (e.g. training of surf instructors, bakery skills development), develop information systems, product diversification, multi-skilled training and networking of enrolment relating to tourism related trades. Additional demand will be facilitated through the REACT program that will help young people obtain productive employment in the sector. The funding for implementation comes from government led initiatives and the government working in partnership with development partners, and employers. The SSAP presents a real opportunity for the district to develop collective responses to its skills and employment challenges, through embracing strong stakeholder partnership. Hence, the SSAP is well placed to consolidate these initiatives with a clear focus on inclusive growth. It is proposed to set up a District Action Committee (DAC) headed by the GA as a mechanism to implement action programmes identified in the SSAP. It also requires well-coordinated collaboration by all the key holders of the tourism industry. The estimated employment impact of the SSAP would be around 3,000 workers covering both in direct and indirect employment. The quality of employment will be raised in terms of cognitive, non-cognitive and soft skills. In terms of guest nights, the increase would be in the range of 48,000 to 50,000 guest nights in 2020. The incremental income benefit from foreign guests would be in the range of US$ 7 to 8 Mns in 2020. Given the inclusive character of the SSAP, it is expected that these benefit streams would percolate down to a cross section of vulnerable groups in the district and lead to reductions in unemployment, inequity and poverty.

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SECTION ONE Setting the Scene for the implementation plan

1.1: Introduction

Administratively, Ampara District is divided into 20 Divisional Secretariats representing 405 Grama Niladhari Divisions. Out of the 20 Divisional Secretariats two are Municipal Councils, one is an Urban Council and the remaining 17 are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha). The district has one of the favourite beach destinations in Sri-Lanka, Arugam Bay, and this attracts surfers from all over the globe, especially from the month June to September. What is not so well known are the wild-life sanctuaries where it is possible to see over 100 elephants in one place, exotic bird-life and rare fauna. Ampara has an ancient irrigation system that continues to feed large paddy fields, making it one of the largest producers of rice in the country. There are also the ruins of the Diagamdulla Kingdom, where visitors can see the remains of Palaces, Monasteries and Stupas. Other hidden gems in the district include hot springs and lakes in and around Mahaoya. Ampara covers an area of 4,222 square kilometres, making it the largest geographical district of the Eastern Province. The district has one of the largest population levels in the province, with the numbers increasing from 644,000 in 2010, to 691,000 in 2016, representing a growth of nearly 11%. Specific data on human resource development reveal that literacy rates are improving, with nearly 90% of males and 88% of females being classified as literate. Despite achieving a good foundation, only 15% of the current population in Ampara have grade 5 leaving school certificate and a smaller 1% have a degree level qualification. Available data from the district office show that out of those in employment nearly 60% are classified as unskilled labours. Care must be taken when using this data since the sampling framework is not known, but the bottom line is that the district has a poor skill base that must be improved. Like most districts in the East, Ampara is dominated by the service sector, as well as agricultural and fishing. The services sector is predominated by the wholesale and trade sub-sectors, and currently tourism only plays a marginal role in the districts development and has a limited impact on employment. Existing tourism occurs around Arugam Bay and development has taken place without any planning or coordination. As a consequence, there are: limited backward or forward linkages with parts of the district, a narrow range of tourism products on offer, a tourism market dominated by seasonality and a focus upon visitors whose purchasing power is limited.

Other places in Ampara have the potential for tourism and are characterised by better backward linkages with local suppliers in the agricultural sector, most significant of which are: Ampara, and Mahaoya. The former areas offer a variety of potential tourism products, ranging from wild-life and bird parks, to temples and monasteries, hot springs and eco-tourism. However, these tourism products are relatively un-developed, the market is small, and accommodation is dominated by home-stays, most of whom are unregistered and of a poor quality. Another characteristic of these places is the lack of forward linkages with suppliers, a minimal infrastructure for international tourists, and a limited marketing of area. These developments have negative consequence for tourism and explains why only a few visitors come to these areas compared with other districts.

The district government in Ampara recognise these constraints and of the need to approach tourism in a more coordinated manner, ensuring improved linkages occur between Arugam Bay

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and the other parts of the district. A number of government officials argued this is the only way promote a sustainable path to tourism. They also recognise that tourists will continue to visit Arugam bay, and that the numbers must increase through a lengthening of the season and more attention given to higher income earners. For other destinations in Ampara, the district government recognises that tourists will only visit or pass through the district and initially stay no longer than two or three days. So, they want to market these destinations as the preferred passage to other destinations, such as Pasikudah or Kandy. Making destinations in Ampara a route to other destinations is a very different strategy to those being followed by the other districts government in the Eastern Province.

1.2: Background

The Skills for Inclusive Growth (S4IG) program is an initiative of the Australian Government’s aid program and is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training (MSDVT), Tourism Authorities, Provincial and District Level Administration, Industry and Community Organizations and the donor community. The Program will improve the tourism value chain in Ampara district through an integrated approach to skills development. The main focus of the S4IG is to create sustainable jobs and to enhance income of marginalized groups, including the disadvantaged and people with disabilities and women. Its goal is to enhance the capacity of skills development planning at district level, improve coordination, reduce mismatches and generate demand for skills. Further, strategies will be adopted to shift the informal sector towards more formal, and improve productivity in the tourism value chain, leading to inclusive growth and sustainability.

1.3: Objectives of the SSAP

The main objective of the Skills Strategy and Action Plan (SSAP) for Ampara district is to promote inclusive growth in the district economy by transforming ongoing development efforts to create a sustainable, dynamic, entrepreneurial and innovative culture, responsive to future business opportunities. More specific objectives are:

• To identify the main challenges facing skills development of Tourism and related value chain sectors in the district.

• To consolidate strategic direction of skills development of the tourism industry in line with national, provincial and district level stakeholders.

• To develop an action plan to promote skills development of tourism industry using

collaborative and inclusive approach.

1.4: Approach used to develop the SSAP

The analysis for the SSAP is based on existing body of data and research evidence on growth performance and skills development of tourism industry at the national, provincial and district level. In terms of policy direction, it is guided by the following policy documents used at national, provincial and district level:

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National level

• Public Investment Programme, 2017-2020

• Tourism Strategic Plan 2017-2020,

• Vision 2025, A Country Enriched and

• Budget Speech, 2018 Provincial level

• Medium Term Development Plan, Eastern Province, 2017-2020

• NECCODEP North East Coastal Community Development Project (2010)

• VET Plan for the Eastern Province

• Eastern Province Strategic Action Plan 2018-2019, S4IG -2017 District and Divisional Secretariat level

• Eastern Province MDP (2017-2020)

• District Development Plan (2018-2022) for Ampara (DDPA)

The SSAP is also based on consultations with key stakeholder groups such as business owners, policy makers & administrators at national, provincial and district level, training providers (both public and non-public), employees in tourism & related industries and job seekers. The assessment covers status of the tourism industry at district level, challenges in skills development, strategic options and action plan for implementation over the next three years e.g. 2018-2020. The potential beneficiaries of the SSAP include wide cross-section of individuals including females, PWDs.

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SECTION TWO Development Potential and Strategic Direction of the Tourism Sector in

Ampara District

2.1: Local Economic Development Context

At the national level projected growth for tourism over the next three years is around 5 percent, partly reflecting government policy initiatives and investment incentives during the post conflict period. Tourism is one of the largest and vibrant industries and important foreign exchange earners in the national economy. At the national level tourist arrivals in 2017 increased by 3.2 percent to 2,116,407 compared to 2016. This upward trend is not reflected in the Eastern Province, particularly, Ampara, where the growth in visitors is much lower compared to the rest of the country. Ampara district accounts for about 2.4 percent of GDP and 2.6 percent of the total labour force or (e.g. 214,952). The rate of unemployment and underemployment is 5.2 and 2.2 percent respectively. The labour force participation is 72.4 and 27.6 percent among male and female workers. The services sector accounts for about 47 percent of its total employment while the rest is distributed among agriculture (33%) and industry sectors (20%). The informal sector share of employment in Ampara district is 69 percent as against 60 percent at national level. Ampara district accounts for about 3 percent of business establishments in non-agriculture sector and over 75 percent are in trade (45%) and services (32%) sub-sectors. Therefore, compared to other districts Ampara has a high degree of informality and the employment opportunities for women are minimal.

Figure 1: Demand for tourism in Ampara District, 2016

Source: SLTDA The district of Ampara attracts around 26,000 guests per annum representing foreign (69%) and domestic (31%) sectors. The peak period for foreign guests runs from July to March with an average foreign visitor level of 1,500 nights per month. The district’s foreign market has grown at a rate of 7 percent between 2014 and 2016 as against a negative growth of 2 percent per annum

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Gu

est

Nig

hts

Foreign

Local

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in the domestic guest market during the same period. The key tourist attractions of Ampara district include Ampara ruins, Pothuvil lagoon, Crocadile point, Kumana National Park, Bird Sanctuary, Ulai Beach, Arugambe, Kalmununai, Maduru Oya National Park and Lahugala Sanctuary. The policy regimes of post-conflict period have recognized the development potential of tourism industry in Ampara and the first comprehensive plan was proposed by the Public Investment Strategy for 2014-2016. It included 3 major hotel projects for Ampara including development work for Arugambe.40 The net impact of these interventions would be an increase in productivity and competitiveness of tourism industry in Ampara district. As a result, the guest nights in Ampara district is expected to reach from the base of 30,550 per annum to 47,73441 under scenario 1 and 50,24042 under scenario 2 respectively in 2020. In terms of income from foreign guests it would be in the range of US$ 7 to 8 Mns in 2020 from the base value of US$ 3.7 Mns in 2017. The development potential of tourism industry in Ampara district is not exploited at all. During the post-conflict period the tourism industry has emerged as a key growth sector with heavy investments by the private sector to enhance accommodation facilities and public-sector investments in infrastructure development. As stated in National Tourism Strategy, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry lies along the continuum from exploration to development depending on the destination. In this continuum, Ampara is at an initial stage of this process. Only with significant investment infrastructure and continued support by the district and national government, tourism in Ampara can be expected to undergo significant changes.

2.2: Population Employment trends within Ampara

The impact of the developments described above influence employment levels in Ampara (see figure 2). Traditionally, Ampara has been an agrarian based district and one of the largest producers of rice, with paddy increasing from752,779 million tons in 2015, to 771,425 million tons in 2016. However, fisheries have been in decline, from 22,050 million tons in 2008, to 18,240 million tons in 2016. More recently, services have taken priority, reflecting the significance of wholesale, trade and the expansion of the public sector.

40 Public Investment Strategy 2014-2016. Department of National Planning, Ministry of Finance and

Planning.

41 Scenario- 1 is based on 19 and 8 % growth for foreign and local guests respectively: BAU 42 Scenario - 2 is based on 21 and 10 % growth for foreign and local guests respectively.

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source: unpublished data LFS, Department of Census and Statistics, 2015 The size of the population in Ampara is close to 700,000 people and represents the pool of labour that can be drawn upon, covering youth who need skills to obtain their first job, the unemployed who need to be re-skilled and those in work who will need up-skilling. A map of employment data for the district is show in figure 8 and key issues include:

• The numbers in employment is close to 200,000, out of which 30% work in the formal sector and a much larger 70% can be found in the informal sector.

• There is a considerable gender imbalance in this district. The available data suggests that 76% of those employed are male and 24% female. Another study found that women are more likely to be found in informal sector than male counterparts43.

• Age is an important issue that must be taken on board, with over 36% of labour force aged between the ages of 25 to 39, compared to a much smaller 4% of youth, between the ages of 15 to 19 years of age. This highlights the population group where emphasis should be given.

• The actual number working in the tourist and hospitality sector appears to be very small, highlighting that not much attention has been given by the government or stakeholders to developing this sector. As outlined earlier, most of the existing jobs are unskilled or low skilled

The barriers to employing women are significant and responses to a recent enterprise survey found that employers in Ampara are much less likely to employ a woman than those in other districts (see figure 3). The same survey showed that enterprises in Ampara were reluctant to hire more women due to perceived cultural reasons and family commitments. Similar trends were observed for the area of disability where employers in Ampara are reluctant to employ disabled workers due to the fact that employers think that they don’t have the relevant skills or that they have no experience of employing such workers.

43 See S4IG (2018) upcoming study on the informal sector in the Eastern Province of Sri-Lanka.

32%

20%

46%

100%

0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000

AGRICULTURE

INDUSTRY

SERVICE

TOTAL

Figure 2: Employment by Industry Brake-down for Ampara District

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Source: Enterprise Survey, Skills for Inclusive Growth Programme, 2017 There are a number of implications of these employment trends. The predominance of the informal sector means that formalised TVET programmes deliver class-room based provision are not necessary the most appropriate mechanism for rising skill levels. Moreover, given that the majority of the labour force are above 25 years of age emphasis should be given to skill upgrading of those in the workforce. Both of the former issues have implications for the type of skills developed and the way in which they are delivered. Another implication of the gender and disability perceptions by employers is the need for social marketing to highlight the potential benefits of employing women and those with disability.

2.3: Skill shortages in Ampara

Despite the low growth the tourism and hospitality sector in Ampara is experiencing significant skill shortages and these will become much worse once investment in the sector increases. Skill shortages occur where the demand for a certain occupation outstrips the supply of that occupation. The available evidence from a survey of skill shortages identified that 36 percent of guest houses were experiencing a vacancy. This is a considerably higher percentage than occurs in Batticaloa (see figure 4). The top five vacancies were found in the following occupations: cooks, front office staff managers, waiters, receptionists, and guest house officers. The occupations that are most difficult to recruit (i.e. taking longer than 6 months) can be found the following occupational areas: receptionists, waiters, kitchen stewards, front office managers and cooks at all levels. This is a common trend across the Eastern Province and in part reflects the structure of the low skilled labour market. A variety of factors influence the demand and supply of labour in Ampara, most significant of which are the behaviour of young people looking for work (job seekers) and employers (hire of job seekers). There is a reluctance of young people to be trained, or to work in the sector. This reflects the low wages paid to young people and the time taken for occupational specific training. Currently, it can take between 6 and 12 months for a young person to be trained by a formal TVET institution to work in the sector and on entering the sector they are typically paid between 10,000 to 15,000 LKR. The length taken to training young needs to be changed to take on board these perceptions.

30%43% 35%

59%

70%57% 65%

41%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Batticaloa Trincomalee Ampara Polonnaruwa

Figure 3: Employers Perception to increase Female Participation in workforce by District (%)

No

Yes

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The demand for low skilled occupations can be met through a combination of on-the-job training and short courses provided by training providers. Provision for higher occupations can occur through investments in formal public and private providers, enabling them to deliver programs in identified areas of high demand. This would ensure that provision becomes more responsive and cost effective in the district.

.

Source: Enterprise Survey, Skills for Inclusive Growth Programme, 2017

2.4: Skill gaps- Quality

Skills deficits in qualitative terms were measured in terms of cognitive, non-cognitive and technical skills based on assessments given by the employers of the tourism sector in Ampara district. The results indicate high level of skill deficits in technical (e.g. English language, technical skills, computer literacy etc.) and non-cognitive skills (e.g. communication skills, customer service, team work, management skills, etc.) among high-skilled workers. Similarly, over 50 percent of medium-skilled workers lack cognitive, technical and non-cognitive skills (e.g. ability to work independently, planning and organization, correctness, management skills, etc.). Skill deficits among low-skilled workers in Ampara tourism industry are evident in computer literacy, appropriate level of education and literacy. By type of establishment, skill deficits emerge as a key issue in four major sub-sectors (hotels, guest houses, home stay and restaurants) of tourism industry in Ampara district. Hence, a programme on basic skills targeted at tourism industry in Ampara seems to be an urgent and appropriate intervention for the development of tourism sector in the district. Survey evidence of the Asia Foundation (2017) also reported inadequate communication skills, customer orientation, ICT knowledge and various service offerings in the hospitality industry. More specifically, the findings highlighted skill gaps in four major areas: interpersonal skills, insufficient knowledge of tourist places, inadequate communication skills and crisis management. With respect to travel sector it identified skill deficits in customer service, presentation, people management, and time management.

17

16

46

9

36

38

0 10 20 30 40 50

BATTICALOA

AMPARA

TRINCOMALEE

Figure 4: Percentage of Respondents with Vacancy Sub-Sector

Guest House with Vacancy Hotel with Vacancy

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Source: Enterprise Survey, Skills for Inclusive Growth Programme, 2017

Source: Enterprise Survey, Skills for Inclusive Growth Programme, 2017

75

70

69

52

40

33

32

28

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS

WORK EXPERIENCE

TEAM WORKING SKILLS

MANAGEMENT SKILLS

TECHNICAL SKILLS

PUNCTUALITY/RELIABILITY

Figure 5: Employers response (YES) about Skills deficits among high skilled workers %

62

61

60

59

58

53

53

48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64

ABILITY TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY

PLANNING AND ORGANISATION SKILLS

CORRECTNESS/INTEGRITY

NUMERACY SKILLS

TECHNICAL SKILLS

APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Figure 6: Ampara skill deficits among medium skilled workers (%)

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Source: Enterprise Survey, Skills for Inclusive Growth Programme, 2017

25

16

11

11

10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

COMPUTER LITERACY

APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF EDUCATION

LITERACY SKILLS

CORRECTNESS/INTEGRITY

PROBLEM SOLVING

Figure 7: Ampara skill deficits among low skilled workers (%)

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Figure 8: Employment map of Ampara

Total Employment in Ampara

192,696

Employment by age in

Ampara

Employment by gender in

Ampara

No. of

females45,573

No. of

males147,123

Total Employment in Ampara by informal and formal sector

No. working in the formal sector 57,808

No. working in the informal sector 134,887

No. Employed in Tourism and Hospitality in Ampara

5931

No. Employed in hotels

& guest houses by occupation

No. Employed in food and beverage by occupation

Estimated loss by

migration per year by occupation

Size of Labour

force in Ampara

208,123

Total No. Unemployed

15427

Population in Ampara

677,000

Age No.

15 to 19 7707.84

20 to 24 19,269.6

25-29 23,124

30-39 52,028

40-49 46,247

50-59 34685.28

60-64 9634.8

5356575 7447

No working in informal

sector (accommodation & food services)Males 2,838; females 3,347

(sources various: LFS 2014, 2017 and national economic census, 2013/14)

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2.5: Policy Direction for the Tourism sector: National and District Levels

At national level, policy directives for tourism sector development from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and the most important document is the Tourism Strategic Plan (TSP, 2017-2020). This emphasizes the need for transforming tourism industry to make Sri Lanka competitive in global travel and tourism market. Policy directives for the development of tourism industry at provincial level are spelt out in the Medium-term Development Plan (MDP, 2017-2020) of the Eastern Province (EP), and the Medium-term Agency Results Framework of the Eastern Province Tourism Bureau (2017). At district level, the District Development Plan (2018-2022) for Ampara (DDPA),44recognizes the development potential of tourism sector and identifies several interventions such as increased skills and competencies in tourism/ hotel management in the district, increased access to skilled and competent labour, increased foreign language competencies of youth, improved knowledge on other languages among those engaged in the hospitality trade and increased availability of trained guides for the tourists.

Vision of the DDPA Making people of Degamadulla as satisfied customers through efficient Government service. Mission Guiding the overall administration of the district by providing necessary suggestions, guidance cooperation and examples to the Government institutions in the district to provide efficient and effective services to the people by ensuring peace and harmony between the people of Digamadulla and through the optimum and effective utilization of physical, human and financial resources as per the government policies, law and regulations.

2.6: Institutional support system

The Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs is the national entity in charge of the tourism sector, beneath which operate the following organisations: Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA): Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB); Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM); Sri Lanka Convention Bureau and the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC).

For skills, the Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training (MSDVT) functions as the national entity in charge of skills development and operates through an island wide network of training institutions. Table 1 summarises provision in Ampara, covering 17 different trades including tourism. The public-sector training providers jointly offer 194 training programmes across with the Ampara district, with 180 indirectly related to tourism and only 14 specifically covering tourism. All these programmes are targeted at school leavers with GCE O/L qualifications. In total for the year 2016 a total of 111 young people received skills training related to tourism. This level is very low, particularly when the number working in the tourism related value chain is close to 6,000, and the government plans to raise the numbers employed in the sector by another 1,000. At a conservative estimate this suggests that less than 2% of those working in the tourism value chain have received tourism related training. This situation needs to change if the district wants to move out of the low skilled equilibrium.

44 District Secretariat, Ampara (2017).

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Table. 1: Public Institutions providing training in Ampara

Source: Public Employment Service Centre, Unpublished data for 2016) Consultations with the TVET providers revealed a number of constraints impacting on the quality of skills, most significant of which include the following:

• Most TVET providers have career guidance materials to inform potential learners about their programs, but limited material exists about the tourism and hospitality sector. Without appropriate career materials young people are not informed about opportunities for this sector;

• A large number of TVET providers were reluctant to offer tourism and hospitality programs due to the fact that they were not popular amongst young people. According to managers at TVET providers young people preferred to study for an ICT qualification. Some providers are attempting to overcome this problem through raising the age level for learners.

• Parents are also reluctant to send their children to study tourism and hospitality due to the negative perceptions towards this sector. Similarly, the low pay of trainees in the sector meant that parents would rather have their children working in a sector that pays more money. Many TVET managers told us that young people could earn four to five time more working as a labourer in the constructor sector (compared to the tourism and hospitality sector).

• Visits to TVET providers found that many experience significant capacity constraints, especially around the lack of equipment to impart practical skills. Most providers did not have the capacity or knowledge to use innovative techniques for learning. Moreover, even for basic level skills programs learners have to spend between 6 and 12 months at a trainee. This is too long and acts as a further disincentive for young people attending such programs.

Another important target audience vital in promoting inclusive growth is the disabled persons and women. The evidence of Enterprise Survey revealed an overwhelming 95 percent of enterprises indicating that they were not interested in employing a person with disabilities. With respect to employing female employees however, the attitudes from enterprises are more positive, with 28 percent of employers indicating that they would happily employ more women. By sub-sectors, it was 16 and 12 percent by hotels and guest house sectors.

Source of Training

Public Directly relevant Indirectly relevant Directly relevant Indirectly relevant Directly relevant Indirectly relevant

Hardy College 0 16 0 887 0 0

VTC- Sinhala 2 14 46 457 39 385

VTC- Tamil 3 32 28 1057 30 904

NAITA 6 40 61 826 17 264

Technical College- Sammanthurai 0 31 0 775 0 708

Technical College-Akkarapattu 0 23 0 659 0 0

SLIATE 0 5 0 272 0 98

National Youth Centre 3 18 25 516 25 480

National Youth Corps 0 1 0 0 0 0

Total 14 180 160 5449 111 2839

No of programmes Enrolment Output

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SECTION THREE Challenges, Strategies and Action Plan for skills development

3.1: Skills path being followed by Ampara

The pathway for skills development in Ampara is determined by the interaction of the forces of demand and supply. Together these shape the type of work taking place, as well as the skills people require to perform their jobs. On the demand-side a significant proportion of those working in tourism are engaged in the food and beverage related activities, covering agro-processing, the supply of materials and trade. When people work in the accommodation sector, they are based in small guest houses or home stays. Outside of the former sub-sectors the only other sub-sectors where employment can be found are in the transportation sub-sector and to a lesser extent the craft sub-sector. Demand for other types of skills is minimal, with only a handful of workers engaged in jobs associated with tourism, such as a small number of tour guides, surf instructors or higher-level occupations, such as food and beverage managers or chefs. Demand for the former occupations is only likely to expand as a result of a growth in the number of international and domestic visitors, expansion of the tourism infrastructure, along with SME development or inward investment. Amongst the most significant drivers are Public, Private, Partnerships (PPPs), under the Swiss Challenge fund to expand infrastructure. Another development is the expansion of SMES, under a decision by the Small Enterprise Development Bureau in Ampara to focus their developments on the tourism sector, with plans to create over 100 enterprises tor each year. Other drivers of change likely to have a significant impact on the sector, include the implementation of the Medium-term Development Plan (MDP, 2017-2020) of the Eastern Province (EP), and Medium-term Agency Results Framework of the Eastern Province Tourism Bureau (2017). Under the current development scenario demand is limited in the tourism sector and primarily focused upon home-stays and guest houses, as well as basic food preparation and processing. Most of the work would be multi-skilled and of a low level. The current emphasis of provision should be upon skill upgrading, as well as support for those who wish to set-up a small business or work for themselves, with an anticipation of moving up to a middle level skills path in the next couple of years. The exception to this rule is around Arugam Bay where the setting-up of three and four-star hotels in creating a demand for mid-level skills. The demand for higher level skills will be the expansion in tourism infrastructure and the corresponding increase in the number of international visitors who expect better quality services. The supply side is confronted with several barriers in responding to market demand for skilled workers in the tourism industry. Some of the major barriers to training include limited access to training services, lack of appropriate training to meet job specific skills, high levels of staff turnover, seasonality of work, and dominance of MSMEs. The number of formal TVET providers across Ampara is small and even if expansion occurred there would be a minimum number of enterprises that could offer workplace training. To make matters worse the perceptions and attitudes of young people towards the sector is poor. Employers are also reluctant to employ women or those with disabilities. So currently, Ampara is in a low skilled equilibrium, characterized by low level of enterprise development, weak education and training structure, inadequate infrastructure development

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and weak institutional and policy support for skills development. Only when the demand increases, and the supply responds with the right quality and quantity of skills, will the district be in a position to move towards a middle level skills equilibrium and possibly higher (see figure 9)

Figure 9: Stage of Skills Development for Tourism in the Ampara District

3.2: Challenges and opportunities for skill development

Earlier sections touched upon the challenges faced by skills development and employment in Ampara. The key demand and supply challenges are summarised in table 2. and some of the key demand challenges relate to structural features of tourism industry e.g. dominance of MSMEs, fragmented character of the industry and general lack of public-investment. On the supply side, some of the key challenges stem from weak institutional support system and resource constraints. The SWOT analysis presented in table 3 further elaborates challenges and opportunities for skills development taking into account internal and external factors.

Table 2: Challenges facing Skills development in tourism industry in Ampara District

Demand side Supply side

• Limited investment in tourism infrastructure for middle to higher income groups

• Absence of collective efforts to promote tourism by the private sector or public-players

• Under-developed value chain for tourism

• Failure to develop tourist products

• Limited attempt market Ampara as a tourist destination

• Dominance of micro and small-scale establishments (MSMEs)

• Reluctance to employ disabled and female workers

• Low levels of skills of the employed in the tourism sector

• Low awareness on job prospects and career development opportunities in tourism sector

• Low payments to trainees during internship period

• Lack of Public Private Partnership

• Few opportunities for workplace experience or training

• Inadequate investments in skills development

• Narrow programme mix

• A dearth of qualified trainers

• Programs that are too lengthy

• Low preference towards tourism sector jobs by new entrants to the labour market

• Limited access to vulnerable groups

• Absence of local flexibility in delivery

• Low level of resources invested in skills development for tourism

• Presence of multi-institutional structure and weak coordination

• Low enrolment and completion rates of TVET trainees due to poverty

• Inadequate support for career guidance and counselling for the tourism sector

Skills gaps and shortages

Middle-level skills equilibrium

Low skills equilibrium

Skills surplus

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Table 3: SWOT analysis on Skills development of tourism industry in Ampra district

Strengths Weaknesses

• Government committed to tourism and is putting in place relevant policy framework and support structures

• Donor and diaspora community support

• Unexploited tourism related assets e.g. Beach, National parks, Heritage Sites, Nature Reserves, Eco-tourism, Religious Places etc.

• Existence of backward linkages within the value chain, particularly in agriculture

• Poor training facilities & narrow programme mix

• Weak value chain for local production

• Lack of coordination among investors involved in the tourism sector

• Stigma attached to women working in the hotel sector

• Poor tourism promotional & marketing strategies

• Limited tourist visiting areas

• Presence of big informal sector& poor-quality standards

Opportunities Threats

• High growth potential of the district with a unique mixture of tourism products

• Pro- private sector policy of the government

• Emphasis on region specific tourism promotion at national level

• Potential for linkages with agriculture & fishery sectors to increase market prices and rise incomes of workers

• High public investments in infrastructure development

• Presence of skill gaps at industry level

• Capacity limitations of public sector training providers

• Conflict between fisherman and tourism over beach access

• Presence of complex multi-institutional system of development administration

• Competition from other districts in the East for tourism

3.3: Vision for the skills development of Tourism Sector in Ampara District

Vision of the DDPA Making people of Degamadulla as satisfied customers through efficient Government service. Mission Guiding the overall administration of the district by providing necessary suggestions, guidance cooperation and examples to the Government institutions in the district to provide efficient and effective services to the people by ensuring peace and harmony between the people of Digamadulla and through the optimum and effective utilization of physical, human and financial resources as per the government policies, law and regulations. In line with the vision and mission statements at province and district level and consultations with employers, policy makers, administrators, training providers and employees engaged in different occupations of the tourism trade we define the vision for skills development in Ampara district as follows:

TO ELEVATE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN AMPARA DISTRICT TOWARDS HIGH-SKILLED EQUILIBRIUM STAGE IN 2020

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In the context of the SSAP we set out skills development mission as follows:

TO UPGRADE THE STATUS OF THE TOURISM SECTOR FROM THE CURRENT STAGE OF SKILLS DEFICITS

TO HIGH SKILLED EQUILIBRIUM THROUGH THE CREATION OF HIGHER VALUE JOBS IN TOURISM

VALUE CHAIN BY ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO TRAINING, DEVELOPING EMPLOYABLITY SKILL,

PROGRESSION PATHWAYS AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH

3.4: Strategies and action plan for skills development

Two major policy documents deal with tourism sector development in Ampara a district: a) Five Year Development Plan (2017-2021) and b) Midterm Development of the Eastern Province. Both of these plans recognize skills development as a major development goal of the tourism sector in Ampara district. The transformative framework for moving the Ampara district from a low skill equilibrium to a middle skilled equilibrium, and possibly a higher skilled equilibrium over the medium to longer term, is shown in figure 10. The key to moving forward is for the government, together with stakeholders, is to encourage and facilitate demand in the tourism sector, support and expand responsive supply, and ensure that improved matching is achieved between the demand and supply of skills. As outlined earlier, this will entail a collaborative approach between government and stakeholders at national, provincial and district levels. Only through such an approach is it possible to tackle market and institutional failures, raise the skill equilibrium and move towards a more inclusive growth path.

Figure: 10: Transformative framework for raising the skill equilibrium and moving towards

an inclusive growth path

Key to moving forward towards and a middle or higher skilled equilibrium is the need to encourage and facilitate demand and tackle market and institutional failures. The actions for tackling demand, supply and matching are shown in table 4. A total of 14 actions have been identified to be implemented over the next three years, out of which actions 1,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13 and 14 are targeted at increasing and raising the quality of skill supply for the sector, 2,3,8 and 9 are more concerned with facilitating increased demand, an 4,5,9 and 10 are more focused upon marketing. Together these actions will provide the basis for moving the district from a low skill base to a medium one, and eventually to a higher skill base.

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Table 4: Tourism Sector Skill Development Action Plan for Ampara District: 2018-2020

S/N Activity Description Target Group Duration Expected Outcome/ Results Responsible Agency

01 Develop and Implement the Work Place Based Basic Skills Development Program

Existing Workforce in Hospitality Sector New entrants to the Sector

2018-2020 Produce a demand driven flexible training package Develop work-based training approach where enterprises can deliver training and assess workforce skills

Training and Recruitment Academy (TRAc)- Developing Learning material Rala Creation: Developing Video FCCISL: National level implementation Partner Ampara District Chamber of Commerce: District Implementation partner with S4IG

02 Implement the Pilot program of Guest House Improvement Project

Existing Workforce in the selected 12 Guest House

2018-2020 Improve the standard of selected Guest Houses Increase the Profit Employment creation through expanding business

Nucleus Foundation, S4IG

03 Improving Beauty Therapy Services in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Existing saloon Owners, Managers, Staff of Saloon

2018-2020 Improve the standard of selected Saloons Link with Hospitality sector

Sarvodaya Foundation, S4IG

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04 Conducting the Social Marketing Campaign

Men & Women, Disadvantage groups, unemployed people, Public

2018-2019 Create a positive image of Tourism sector Generate interest and Develop a pool of trainees for training and job placement

Emotional Intelligence, S4IG

05 Developing and Implementing Career Guidance and Counselling Resource Kit for tourism and hospitality Industry

Career Guidance Officers, Men & Women, Disadvantage groups, School leavers, Unemployed youth

2018-2020 Develop an industry validated Occupational Fact Sheet and Career Guidance & counselling Resource Kit Train the existing career Guidance officers in the District Promote tourism and hospitality jobs and career opportunities

Skills International, Local Service Provider, S4IG

06 Vocational English for Tourism and Hospitality

Participants from Hospitality and Tourism Related Training courses

2018-2019 Develop the Occupational English Language Skills of training participants and the existing workforce

Headway Institute, S4IG

07 Upskilling the skills of middle level existing workforce through Mobile Training Program

Middle level staff in tourism sector

2018-2020 Create a mobile training unit with all the facilities Certify and develop the skills of the existing workforce to improve quality and productivity

NAITA, S4IG

08 Conducting the Master Chef Program

Interested trainees in the area

2018-2020 Promote the high skills entrants

TRAc, S4IG

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Improve cookery skills and promote cookery as a career

09 Recruitment, Employment and Careers in Tourism- (REACT) (Number of identified middle level skills development programs will come under this)

New trainees, Unemployed youth, Disadvantage youths

2018-2020 Train the middle level new entrants Develop a successful recruitment, training and Employment Model

Service Provider, S4IG

10 Strengthening Capacity Building of District Officers and facilitate the District Tourism Sector Job Fair and Job Matching System

Skills Development Officers, Human Resource Development Officers, Career Guidance Officers, Public Employment Service Center Officers in the Ampara District

2018 Empower the officers engage into the Skills Development activities in the Tourism Sector Strengthen their capacity to collect ground level labour market Data

S4IG

11 Training of Surf Instructors Existing surf instructors 2018-2020 Develop the existing surf instructors capacity

Service Provider, S4IG

12 Develop opportunities for PWD

to engage in tourism sector

Persons with Disability people including women & rehabilitators

2019 Facilitation of PWDs into training and the tourism and hospitality sector

Service Provider, S4IG

13 Bakery Skills Development

Potential new entrants to the interested field household women, war widows, women seeking employment

2018-2020 Facilitate men, women participation into training and employment throughout the Tourism sector value chain

Service Provider, S4IG

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14 Prepare an Institutional Development Strategy to Support the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in the Ampara District

Selected TVET Training Providers

2018 Institutional Capacity Building Strategy with identified needs

International Consultant, S4IG

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SECTION FOUR Implementation and progress monitoring

4.1: Implementation and progress monitoring

The Skills Strategic Action Plan (SSAP) is implementing in the Ampara district through the closely

working with district secretariat. It is expected that the implementation of the proposed action

plan would lead to an increase in employment both direct and indirect terms. The quality of

employment would also be improved in terms of cognitive, non-cognitive and soft skills. As a

result, the tourism industry in Batticaloa district would be more competitive and generate more

socio-economic benefits to wide cross section of individuals in the district. In the long-run, it

would lead to reductions in unemployment, inequity and poverty. This is the final aim of inclusive

growth.

The SSAP sets out key roles for district level skills development partnerships. It presents a real

opportunity for the district to develop collective responses to its skills and employment

challenges, through embracing strong stakeholder partnership. Some of the donors have already

made firm commitments towards skill development efforts at district level.

The SSAP focuses on providing an integrated and accessible employment and skills development opportunities for a cross-section of target beneficiaries in the district. It shifts the emphasis from standard government-led skills investment to one that is led and co-invested by employers, NGOs and development partners. The government will be taking collective responsibility for investment in skills development and the district level providers of education and training will be operating in this new climate. By working together, the district administration has the capacity to improve capabilities and aspirations of young people, employers, employees and vulnerable groups. This presents a real opportunity for the district to develop collective responses to its skills and employment challenges, through embracing strong stakeholder partnership. The SSAP is a mechanism by which inclusive growth and sustainable jobs will be supported and monitored in the district both in the short and medium term. Feeding into these programs are the key functions of policy makers, administrators and other stakeholders of the district. The implementation of proposed action programs requires strong partnerships with private sector organizations, non-government organizations and the donor community. The district level administration however, has little experience in this respect, particularly in skills development. Similarly, the non- government sector service providers also require capacity building support particularly in integration of vulnerable groups in to the main-stream work force.

The skills development approach of SSDP is multi-institutional and inclusive. There would be two types of funding:

a) Government-led - which focuses on areas of economic and social return to education and training, equity and poverty and

31

b) Joint action - which focuses on delivering flexible and market responsive solutions to skills needs, where government resources add value to the investment being made by employers, NGOs and development partners.

(c) It is expected that the implementation of the proposed action plan would lead to an increase

in employment both direct and indirect terms. The quality of employment would also be

improved in terms of cognitive, non-cognitive and soft skills. As a result, the tourism industry in

Batticaloa district would be more competitive and generate more socio-economic benefits to

wide cross section of individuals in the district. In the long-run, it would lead to reductions in

unemployment, inequity and poverty. This is the final aim of inclusive growth.

4.2: District Action Committee (DAC) for the SSAP However, merely having a Skills Strategic Action Plan (SSAP) is not going to help achieve the planned skills development targets of the district. It requires a well-coordinated effort by all stakeholder groups particularly in the areas of advice, guidance, and leadership and resource inputs. Thus, we propose to set up a Coordinating Committee as a mechanism to implement the action programs listed for the next three years- 2018-2020. The GA, Ampara district should be the Chair Person of the DAC and he/she should decide the size and representation of different stakeholder groups. The Coordinating Secretary of the Committee should be the S4IG District Coordinator in Ampara and she will be assisted by the Social Inclusion Officer and District Skills Officer of the S4IG project in Ampara.

The functions of the DAC are spelt out below:

a) Prioritization of action programs listed in SSAP b) Coordination of resources for skills development from different sources c) Progress monitoring of Action Programs at regular intervals d) Suggest necessary changes/ amendments to the Action program in response to changes

in the tourism industry and changes in policy directives and administrative procedures at district, provincial and national level and

e) Ensure continuity of skills development work of tourism sub-sector through integration of core activities of the SSAP to budget items of line ministries.

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References:

1. Asia Foundation, 2017 Report of the Political Economy Analysis for the Skills for

Inclusive Growth (S4IG) Programme, Colombo.

2. Butler, R.W. 1980. The Concept of Tourist Area Cycle of Evolution: Implications for

Management of Resources, Canadian Geographer, XXIV, 1: 5-12.

3. Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 2016. Annual Report 2016. Central Bank of Sri Lanka,

Colombo.

4. CEPA, 2017.Tracer Study on Technical and Vocational Education Graduates’

Employment in Sri Lanka. Unpublished Report submitted to the ADB, Ministry of

Skills Development and TVEC. Colombo.

5. Department of Census and Statistics, 2017. Labour Demand Survey, 2017. Colombo.

6. Department of Census and Statistics, Quarterly Labour Force Survey – Various

Issues.

7. Dunder, H., Milliot B., Roboud, M., Shojo, M., Athurupne, A., Goyal, S. and Rajah, D. 2017. Sri Lanka Education Sector Assessment, World Bank, Washington D.C.

8. Dunder, H., B. Millot, Y. Savchenko, H. Aturupane, T. Pismire. 2014. Building the Skills

for Economic Growth and Competitiveness in Sri Lanka, DC: World Bank Group,

Washington, D.C.

9. ILO, 2015. Skill Gaps in Selected For Industry Sectors: A Literature and Data Review,

Colombo. Available at www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro.../---

ilo.../wcms_359346.pdf

10. Lazarus, N.A, 2017. A Map of Development Agencies and NGOs supporting the Tourism Value Chain in 04 districts in Sri Lanka. (Trincomalee, Ampara, Batticaloa and Polonaruwa).

11. Ministry of Finance, 2017. Budget Speech – 2018, Colombo.

12. Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, 2017. Tourism

Strategic Plan 2017-2020, Colombo.

13. Ministry of Home Affairs District Secretariat –Annual Performance Report &

Accounts - 2016.

14. National Planning Department (NPD), 2016. Public Investment Program, 2017-2020,

Ministry of Economic Policies and National Affairs, Colombo.

15. Office of the Prime Minister, 2017. Vision 2025, A Country Enriched. Colombo.

16. Provincial Planning Secretariat, 2017. Medium Term Development Plan, Eastern

Province, 2017-2020, Trincomalee. 17. Scope Global Pvt. Ltd. 2017a. Rapid Assessment, Kent Town SA, 5067. 18. Scope Global Pvt. Ltd. 2017b. Enterprise Survey, Kent Town SA, 5067. 19. Scope Global Pvt. Ltd., 2017c. Disability Inclusion Strategy. Kent Town SA, 5067. 20. Scope Global Pvt. Ltd. 2017d, Gender Inclusive Strategy, Kent Town SA, 5067. 21. Scope Global Pvt. Ltd. 2017e, Map of Training Providers for the Tourism Supply Chain,

Kent Town SA, 5067. 22. Scope Global Pvt. Ltd. 2017e, Map of Training Providers for the Tourism Supply Chain,

Kent Town SA, 5067. 23. S4IG, 2017a. Eastern Province Strategic Action Plan, 2018-2020.(Tentative draft).

24. WUSC, 2016.Youth Employment and Vocational Survey, WUSC, Colombo.

Annex 1: Conducted Stakeholder Consultation Meetings to prepare SSAP-Ampara

Date Name Designation  Authorised Institution/ Organisation Type of Organasation

14/3/2018 Mr. Thusiththa P. Wanigasingha District Secretary District Secretariat- Ampara Public Sector

Ms. W.G.A. Damayanthi Assistant Director National Youth Service Council-Ampara Public Sector

15/3/2018 Mr. Raheem President Arugambay Tourism Association Private Sector- Tourism

Mr.Sulfi President Echo Tourism and Tour Guide Private Sector- Tourism

Mr. krishantha Chairman Arugambay Surf Club Private Sector- Tourism

Mr. Fawas Chairman United Surf Club Private Sector- Tourism

Mr. Ibrahim Echo Wave Private Sector- Tourism

Mr. Priyantha President Safari Association & Home Stay Private Sector- Tourism

Ms.Niroshani Priyatharshini Home Stay Private Sector- Tourism

Ms.Syama Keerthika Home Stay Private Sector- Tourism

16/3/2018 Mr. Vinotharaja Regional Director VTA – Nintavur Public Sector-Training

Mr. Mazoor Regional Manager NAITA Public Sector-Training

Mr. Janoordeen Principal Technical College - Akkaraipattu Public Sector-Training

Principal Technical College - Sammanthurai Public Sector-Training

Mr.Kayoom Principal Hardy Technical College - Ampara Public Sector-Training

5/6/2018 Mr R.Chandana, Assistant Account District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

Mr S .Anverdeen District Planning Director District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

Mr.Mohomed Niyaz Skill development Officer(SDO) District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

Mr.E.M Emil Sarath- Assistant Skill Development officer(ASDO) District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

Ms. N.Sureka Women’s Development officer(WDO) District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

Mr G.Nimal Social Services officer District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

Mr K.Vemalanathan Additional District Secretary District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

Mr S.Nanda Assistant Director Of Vocational Training Authority- Ampara Vocational Training Authority- Ampara Public Sector-Training

6/6/2018 Mr I.M Nazar- Enterprises Development Officer(EDO) District Secretariet-Ampara Public Sector

8/6/2018 Mr M.M abdul Director , Hardy Technical collage- Ampara Hardy Technical collage- Ampara Public Sector-Training

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