1. Enhancing Employment Opportunities and Employability Issues and future strategies Ayanthi de Silva Deputy Director Department of National Planning

2. Chapter includes Chapter includes Three policies of labour market have been evaluated Three policies of labour market have been evaluated Promoting job creation Promoting job creation Ensuring equality in access to jobs Ensuring equality in access to jobs Helping the poor and vulnerable to acquire appropriate skills Helping the poor and vulnerable to acquire appropriate skills

3. Issues Severance pay system Severance pay system Wage setting mechanism Wage setting mechanism Civil service hiring practice Civil service hiring practice Education and skill training Education and skill training

4. Changes Suggested Reduce the generosity of severance pay Reduce the generosity of severance pay Avoid direct Government intervening in wage setting Avoid direct Government intervening in wage setting Avoid Government unplanned recruitment Avoid Government unplanned recruitment Develop unemployment Insurance Scheme Develop unemployment Insurance Scheme Promote Social dialogue about the promotion of workers protection Promote Social dialogue about the promotion of workers protection Improve the access to education and training Improve the access to education and training

5. Key Strategies of the Government Vision for the Sector Vision for the Sector A future of peace and prosperity in which all Sri Lankans enjoy a better quality of life free from poverty and deprivation, through the promotion of opportunities for women and men to obtain productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human

6. Labour market situation Low female labour force participation rate Low female labour force participation rate Large share of informal sector employment but not protected by laws or severance Large share of informal sector employment but not protected by laws or severance High level of unemployment among the females, youth, and more educated High level of unemployment among the females, youth, and more educated Stagnant of real earnings of the estate sector workers Stagnant of real earnings of the estate sector workers Large wage premium and non wage benefits of public sector jobs Large wage premium and non wage benefits of public sector jobs Rigid labour laws Rigid labour laws

7. Future Policy Directions Employment creation (Productive and Sustainable) Employment creation (Productive and Sustainable) Skills development and productivity Improvement Skills development and productivity Improvement Labour laws and regulations Labour laws and regulations Employer- employee Relationship Employer- employee Relationship

8. Future Policy Direction Employment Generation Employment Generation Formulate a comprehensive policy on speedy infrastructure development Formulate a comprehensive policy on speedy infrastructure development Create greater opportunities for employment for women and youth and disabled Create greater opportunities for employment for women and youth and disabled Reduce the share of employment in informal sector Reduce the share of employment in informal sector Moving away from generating employment through the public sector Moving away from generating employment through the public sector Transfer the unskilled labour migration to skilled migration Transfer the unskilled labour migration to skilled migration

9. Future Policy Directions Skills Development and Labour Productivity Promote an effective Labour Market Information (LMI) system Promote an effective Labour Market Information (LMI) system Increase labour productivity Increase labour productivity Enhance equality in the access to education and training Enhance equality in the access to education and training

10. Future Policy Directions Labour Laws and Regulations Improve enforcement of legislation Improve enforcement of legislation Increase flexibility while ensuring adequate safeguards for workers Increase flexibility while ensuring adequate safeguards for workers Introduce a system of Unemployment Insurance/Benefit Introduce a system of Unemployment Insurance/Benefit

11. Future Policy Directions Employer Employee Relationship Create a harmonious industrial relations environment Create a harmonious industrial relations environment Promote social dialogue for tri-partite consultation at national level : Promote social dialogue for tri-partite consultation at national level :

12. ayanthi@npd.tresuary.gov.lk Thank You