Hayleys Plantation Sector has set a new benchmark in human resource development with the successful award of Sri Lanka’s first ever National Skills Passport (NSP) and National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) to field officers.

Improving their skills around sustainable plantation business operations, 70 field officers from Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL), Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTEL) and Horana Plantations PLC (HPL) successfully completed the program.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr Roshan Rajadurai said: “Our mission at Hayleys Plantations is to enable a new approach to plantation management, fusing knowledge based on experience with advanced technical knowledge.

“With the introduction of the NVQ and Skills Passport, we are helping our team elevate their capabilities and expertise, to build a dynamic and digital workforce. I congratulate each member of the team for completing these programs and I look forward to seeing them develop as leading plantation field officers in the country, continue their professional development and make a difference in the field.

The programs are a quadripartite initiative between the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), the International Labor Organization (ILO) – Colombo Office, the National Authority for Apprentices and Industrial Training (NAITA) and the Commission for higher and vocational education (TVEC). Technical support provided by the National Authority for Apprenticeship and Industrial Training (NAITA) was initiated under the leadership of the Ministry of Skills Development, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Hayleys Plantations field staff members with over a year of experience and commendable performance have been selected and evaluated by NAITA on theory and practice. Upon completion of the program, the first batch of field agents received NVQ certificates and a Digital Skills Passport smart card with a QR code, facilitating convenient online access to their skills portfolio.

“Given the success of the first phase, we are confident that the NVQ Skills Passport will help our team innovate new solutions to solve long-standing challenges in our industry. Going forward, we are committed to maintaining and continuously improving our practices, which have already won national and international acclaim – a commitment that has seen us rank among the top three RPCs in the country,” Kelani Valley Plantations Head / General Manager HR & Corporate Sustainability, said Anuruddha Gamage.

A dedicated NSP online portal provides NSP holders with a gateway to finding suitable jobs and accessing retraining and upskilling opportunities, locally and internationally. It is connected to employees, employers, qualification bodies and labor market intermediaries.

The NSP is directly linked to the Recognition of Prior Learning Platform (RPL), which helps to recognize informally acquired knowledge, skills and competences through formal assessments and certifications.

This can be used to help employees create a comprehensive virtual portfolio of skills and qualifications with their references and experience, in alignment with several skills assessment frameworks. By enabling access to this electronic document, NSP can be a career guide for workers to open up future growth opportunities.

The centerpiece of the Sri Lankan economy, Hayleys Group maintains a global presence in five regions with business interests spanning 16 diverse sectors. Representing $600 million of the country’s foreign earnings and 4.2% of the country’s total export earnings, Hayleys is a champion of sustainable innovation and represents one of Sri Lanka’s most significant success stories. Hayleys is Sri Lanka’s No. 1 company for 2021, according to rankings by the country’s leading business publications.