The need for the achievement of organizational goals through the development of employees, as well as the need for a periodic review, update and appraisal of the employee qualifications through the creation of effective training programs has become apparent due to globalization and the increasing demand for multi-skilled workers. Thus, training needs analysis (TNA) has been recognized to serve the need for developing competent, responsible and resourceful personnel to facilitate organizational harmony and development.


ICP Sri Lanka Group Photo with the local officials led by Mr. A.D. Rupasinghe (fifth from left), Mr. K.A. Thilakarathna, Secretary of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development (second from left), Engr. Alam (center) and Mr. D.V.P.Y. Kulathunga, Additional Secretary of DTET(first from right).

Recognizing this, the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) implemented an in-country program on Training Needs Analysis in TVET held at the UNIVOTEC Campus in Rathmalana, Sri Lanka from December 10-14, 2012. This program was organized in collaboration with the Department of Technical Education and Training (DTET), under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development of Sri Lanka.

A total of 33 administrators, educators and lecturers of TVET from all around Sri Lanka were invited to participate in the event. The program modalities, logistics and contents were jointly organized by Engr. Alam and the Local Coordinator, Mr. A.D. Rupasinghe, Deputy Director of the Research and Development Division, DTET.

Esteemed guests present in the program were the Honorable Secretary of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, Mr.K.A. Thilakarathne, Vice Chancellor of UNIVOTEC, Prof. Kapila Gunasekara and the Additional Director General of DTET, Mr. D.V.P.Y Kulathunga.

They shared several insights between the cooperation of CPSC and DTET in coming up with relevant programs for the development of their TVET personnel. They also cited the importance of these programs in fostering the cooperation between member countries in improving TVET systems in the region.

The program invited local resource persons to share more about their experiences in the development of the training needs methods, analysis and instruments. The local resource persons were: Dr. W.C.D. Kumari Fernando, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University in Rathmalana and Mr. Loku Withanage Amitha Kumara, Senior Manager of Training and Development, Loadstar (Private) Limited. The former represented the academe while the latter represented the industry.

Topics and themes such as the TNA techniques and processes, initiatives and strategies for TNA in developing training course using the Sri Lankan context, designing, evaluation and sustenance of training programs, action planning and sharing of the best practices and models of creating TNA were tackled during the program.


Engr. Alam with the participants in a session.