National strategy for poverty alleviation for social sustainability in Sri Lanka

The prospect of an economic revival looms ahead for Sri Lanka, stimulated and re-energized by the peace settlement to the ethnic conflict which spanned nearly three decades. Notwithstanding the impacts of the global economic crisis and the ethnic conflict, the economy has shown resilience and is now poised to take off from mid-2009. Helping all citizens to benefit from the ensuing political and economic environment is a major challenge to be taken up by the government. 'Mahinda Chinthanaya', the government's socio-economic and political manifesto, addresses the intents of policy makers in poverty reduction, improving wellbeing of people, and enhancing measures for social capital formation, and in ensuring that the fruits of the new development initiatives are shared by all citizens including the disadvantaged. This is noteworthy as the mainstream groups who have access to service provisions of the government appear to have accrued benefits, while disadvantaged and vulnerable groups appear to have been largely left behind.

The provision of vocational training is important particularly because it is one of the most significant pathways to economic empowerment for youth and other participants who have not had the opportunity to enter the higher education stream or other viable forms of economic survival. The adverse situation with regard to 'access to' and 'provision of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for disadvantaged/marginalized groups' is particularly disturbing when viewed from the precepts of inclusion, equal opportunity, economic empowerment, and general wellbeing.

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