Ladies College - Department of Vocational Studies, Sri Lanka

About Vocational Education in Sri Lanka

Vocational Education in Sri Lanka was neglected for many years. Traditional forms of education which are academically oriented have been the focus of emphasis. It’s only in the 70s when the enormity of the youth and unemployment problem came to light that educationists and the nation took cognisance of the vast potential there is for the development of Vocational Education in Sri Lanka and the need to meet the demands of young people who are anxious to educate themselves for careers which are remunerative and nationally productive.

The Board of Governors of Ladies’ College Colombo, Sri Lanka decided in 1981 to expand the facilities at Ladies’ College to include an institute exclusively for Vocational Education for students from all parts of Sri Lanka.

An extending and expanding the avenues of modern education to include Vocational Education, Ladies’ College led the way in promoting education with a view to national development.

History of the Department of Vocational Studies

The DVS celebrated 25 years of service in 2006. The DVS has a separate Board of Management which deals with issues related solely to the Institute like the appointment of staff, finance related matters and introducing courses. Day-to-day administration is carried out by a team of staff members headed by the director who reports to the College Principal. One of the primary objectives was to serve the community and to provide skilled and trained personnel for the development of Sri Lanka and as such the courses were geared towards achieving this goal.

An active social consciousness nourished over the years was channelled into an institution that served both the school and community and provided for social equity – thus the DVS was born. It arose out of a need to cater to students who did not wish to study at the Universities. It also catered to a need in the wider community and society at large – equipping young people with the necessary skills to function effectively in their workplaces. This idea gained further momentum with the help of a scholarship fund for those in need.

The DVS is a department within Ladies’ College where major decisions regarding both the school and the DVS are decided by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) Governing body for Educational Institutions.

DVS Staff

All lecturers at the DVS are qualified in their relevant fields and are employed on a part-time basis

Success Stories

A daughter of one of the minor staff at Ladies’ College studied English on a scholarship at the DVS. She then enrolled for a Secretarial Diploma Course, and, because of her proficiency in English and training in secretarial skills, was employed as a junior secretary in the corporate sector.

Inoka Priyadarshini from Hambantota was badly affected by the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in December 2004. She was recommended to the DVS by the Women’s Development Federation and was granted a scholarship to study English, MS Office and Typing at the DVS.

Inoka attended the village school in Hambantota where she recalls her schooling days as ‘Village students have very little exposure to English as there are no English teachers to teach us’. She further said that after she had completed her A/L’s finding a suitable job was almost impossible and she said it became ‘only dream to me’. This was mainly due to her lack of a basic knowledge of English. It was then that she received the scholarship from the DVS.

Although it was difficult at first, the friendly and qualified staff of the DVS helped, encouraged and coached her, and her English improved dramatically.

Inoka is now working at the Suntel Regional Centre at Embilipitiya. She says ‘After I studied at the DVS I improved my English and computer skills and now it is helping me do my office work well’.

Inoka’s story is only one among many. The DVS is an institute dedicated to empowering such students by giving them opportunities that they otherwise would not have dreamed of. Many students like Inoka have benefited by the scholarships granted by the DVS to further their studies enabling them to secure suitable employment and thus giving them the opportunity to look forward to a bright future.