•  Over 400,000 vacancies identified across key industries  
•  Worker shortage sees companies hire from India, China
• 10,000 youth received training with 800 rehabbed annually

The Government has launched a new employment initiative to place rehabilitated young people with a history of drug addiction into permanent private-sector jobs, seeking to address the country's chronic labour shortage while supporting their reintegration into society.

The Industries Ministry-led initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, the Bureau of Rehabilitation, and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission, with the objective of placing rehabilitated youth in permanent vocational employment after training.

A special discussion on the programme was held at the Ministry on Tuesday (30) under the patronage of the Industries Minister Sunil Handunneththi. Speaking at the meeting, Handunneththi said that the private industrial sector currently has more than 400,000 job vacancies, with a shortage of both skilled and unskilled workers. He noted that this gap has led some industries to recruit foreign labour from countries such as India and China.

He further stated that vacancies exist across several sectors, including construction, tiles and fittings, footwear, leather goods and automobile industries. He instructed the officials to implement a structured mechanism to channel rehabilitated youth into these sectors following appropriate vocational training (VT).

Officials also noted that around 10,000 rehabilitated youth have already received VT in various fields. It was further revealed that approximately 800 individuals are rehabilitated annually through centres in Vavuniya, Senapura and Kandakadu, before being reintegrated into society with vocational skills.