The Skills Expo drew large crowds to the Temple Trees Convention Centre in Colombo, where Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya officially opened the two-day event designed to connect schoolchildren and young people with vocational training and industry opportunities.
Prime Minister opens Skills Expo as youth explore vocational and technical career pathways
The Skills Expo 2025 showcased a lively intersection of education, industry and youth ambition as students and jobseekers streamed into the Temple Trees Convention Centre in Colombo. Officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, the two-day expo was organised by the Tourism Industry Skills Council with the backing of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission, the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority and several Industry Sector Skills Councils. The event’s program and exhibits were focused squarely on presenting vocational and technical pathways as credible, high-value careers and on narrowing the gap between classroom skills and employer needs.
Throughout the expo, vocational training providers, apprenticeships schemes and industry representatives staged live demonstrations, information sessions and hands-on workshops that attracted a notably large contingent of schoolchildren. Attendees were able to examine practical skills in action, meet trainers and employers, and learn about entry points into sectors where demand for skilled labour is rising. The presence of multiple government and sectoral bodies signalled a coordinated push to elevate technical education in national policy and workforce planning.
Organisers emphasised that the Skills Expo is more than a recruitment fair: it is intended to reshape perceptions of technical learning and to build linkages that lead to real employment outcomes. By bringing together public institutions, private employers and training providers, the expo highlighted how targeted investment in skills can strengthen resilience across tourism, manufacturing and service sectors. Panel discussions and case studies underscored successful transitions from vocational courses into workplace roles, offering practical roadmaps for young people and their families.
Stakeholders framed the event as a strategic contribution to broader economic and social goals. Improved vocational pathways were presented as instruments for inclusive growth, enabling youth participation in productive work while addressing skill shortages that constrain sectoral expansion. The Skills Expo 2025 also spotlighted the role of sector skills councils in tailoring curricula to industry needs and in facilitating public–private partnerships that expand apprenticeship and on-the-job training opportunities.
As the event closed, organisers reported strong engagement and pledged follow-up measures to track job placements and training enrolments generated by the expo. For policymakers and employers alike, the Skills Expo served as a reminder that building a pipeline of technically skilled workers will be essential to Sri Lanka’s medium-term development ambitions. By elevating vocational education and creating clearer pathways to employment, the Skills Expo 2025 aimed to convert youthful enthusiasm into sustainable careers and to strengthen the nation’s skilled workforce for years to come.