Tuesday, 3rd June 2014
The government has reduced sending unskilled migrant workers to controversial sectors of employment in foreign countries, Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera said.
Addressing a workshop organised by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment for media personnel on Saturday, the minister said although the government has not banned sending housemaids to foreign countries, especially to Gulf countries, the government's policy is to send as many skilled workers as possible and minimise the number of unskilled workers migrating overseas for employment.
The government does not encourage sending Sri Lankan women as housemaids, Perera said, adding that the government has made it compulsory for housemaids to obtain national vocational skills.
The authority has introduced programs to train prospective migrant workers in specialised vocations with the intention of increasing the percentage of skilled workers while discouraging unskilled workers from going abroad. The workers are offered low-interest housing loans and loans for self-employment upon their return.
According to the minister, the government has implemented several programs for the welfare of the migrant worker families. “Several insurance schemes are available for migrant workers and the Bureau also offers scholarships to workers ' children.
The children of migrant workers stand to receive educational items.
A self-employment project has also been implemented for the benefit of the members of the migrant worker families, Perera said.
A program to build houses for families of the migrant workers is underway.
The Bureau has received 12,000 applications, the minister said. He said under the program, 1,000 houses have already been built while the construction of another 3,000 houses has already been approved.
The minister said the Foreign Employment Bureau has been able to increase the income received through Sri Lankan migrant workers and the government has targeted US$ 7 billion in revenue by 2016. “However the target has already been achieved this year,” Minister Perera added.
http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/govt-makes-vocational-skills-compulsory-migrant-workers
