UNIVERSITY SOFT SKILLS PROGRAMME

John Keells Foundation in collaboration with the Alumni Association of the Management Faculty organized a Soft Skills Workshop at the Sabaragamuwa University on 19th October 2018 at the University’s Social sciences Auditorium. A total of 617 students attended the workshops with 525 students completing the programme with 100% attendance. The workshop commenced with a panel discussion on ‘Employer Expectations’ and ‘Team Building & Leadership Skills. The panelists comprised of Vindya Cooray – Sector Financial Controller of the Leisure Inbound Sector, Rangika Abeynayake – Head of HR processes and Systems, John Keells Group, Eranga Ginige – Founder of Social Enterprise Lanka and Sriyangani Dhanapala – Assistant Manager, Brand Marketing Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts. This was followed by workshops on Social Etiquette, Personality Development & Confidence Building and Facing interviews & CV writing by both Professional and staff Volunteer Trainers. The programme was completed successfully enabling many participants to reflect on their future career path in greater depth and understand what they need to do to get there. As the targeted audience were final year management students, mock interviews too were conducted for the students to be better prepared for the interviews they are to face in the future. [URIS id=11933]

John Keells Foundation piloted a total immersion English camp at the University of Ruhuna from the 11 -15 September 2017 for the benefit of 42 undergraduates of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. This initiative was undertaken at the request of the Chairman of the University Grants Commission towards enhancing the English language skills of students particularly of the Arts Faculties of State Universities. The 5-day workshop conducted in collaboration with Gateway Language Centre involved activities on analyzing poetry, drama and public speaking. Thus improving their opportunities for higher learning and sustainable employment in an increasingly competitive world. The closing ceremony held on 15th September was attended by the Dean Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Head of Operations CSR of JKF, Head of English Language Teaching Unit and included four performances by the students.

John Keells Soft Skills workshop was conducted for the Fifteenth successive time in a Sri Lankan University. Organised in collaboration with the Career Guidance Unit (CGU) of the Uva Wellassa University on the 17th and 18th of November 2015, more than 350 undergraduates were in attendance each day. Gayani Hemachandra, a student of the Faculty of Management said, “The workshop was a great opportunity to learn from expert business leaders. Their advice has laid the foundation for us to achieve our university’s vision of becoming the centre of excellence. I feel privileged to have been a part of this workshop and would like to express my gratitude to John Keells Foundation for organizing this event.” The programme, aptly named- “The Final Step”- aims to enhance the employability of local graduates by preparing them for the demands of the private sector and giving them the knowledge to succeed in obtaining and maintaining a job in a competitive labour market. The 2 day programme consisted of a series of workshops which covered a wide range of topics including `Employer Expectations’, `Team Building and Leadership Skills’, `Adapting to the Corporate Environment’, `Personality Development and Confidence Building’, `Personal Grooming’ and `Corporate Hospitality’. [URIS id=3391]    “As Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate, we have a deep commitment to development- both social and economic. We are very committed to empowering our children and youth especially through education. Soft Skills help you find and keep a job, today we will be focusing on important personal qualities including initiative, curiosity, ethics, values, teamwork and motivation to name a few. I truly hope that these workshops will help you acquire a thirst for learning and developing your soft skills further” said Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations John Keells Foundation addressing the gathering. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. G. Chandrasena, Vice Chancellor, Uva Wellassa University noted “Uva Wellassa University prides itself on being the knowledge centre for value addition in Sri Lanka. These workshops organised by John Keells Foundation are certainly in line with our strategic path for realising this vision. This is a valuable opportunity for you to make your career a success. Though your knowledge and skills are important to find employment, it is your soft skills that truly add value and make you stand out in the work force.” The sessions on ‘Employer Expectations’ and ‘Team Building & Leadership Skills’ were conducted in the form of panel discussions involving senior management personnel representing diverse backgrounds and years of experience. The panel comprised Mr. Samantha Ranatunga, Managing Director/CEO, CIC Holdings PLC, Ms. Nisansala Paranayapa, Head of HR, Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, Dr. Muditha Senarath- Yapa, Head of Research, John Keells Group PLC, Mr. Jayamal Dias, Head of Sales, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts- City Sector and Mr. Rohan Amirthiah Director, Wurth Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. as the Chair/Moderator of the Panel.

The opening ceremony was initiated with the singing of the National Anthem by esteemed panelists and resource persons for the day, University officials and Students. Our compere for the workshop welcomed the large audience and declared the opening of the workshop…      The hall was packed with over 600 students listening attentively as the workshop begins.. Welcome Address by Career Guidance Counsellor, Deepal Wijeyasekera. Address by Professor Chandana P. Udawatte, Vice Chancellor, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.      Welcome Address by Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, John Keells Foundation. Devanshi Fernando, Project Coordinator, John Keells Foundation, introduced the esteemed panel.      Day 1( Morning Session) Panel Discussion on ‘Employer Expectations’    Morning Panelists (L-R): Dr. Harsha Alles, Chairman, Gateway Group, Ms. Sandya Salgado, Senior External Affairs Officer, World Bank, Rohan Amirthiah (Chair/Moderator), Managing Director, Wurth Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Ms. Sharmini Ratwatte, Director, MAS Investments (Pvt) Ltd , Ms. Subanie Ekanayake, Head of HR Processes and Systems, John Keells Group. Our chair/moderator set the tone and facilitated panel discussion.. Each Panelist gave valuable advice from their own experiences in the private sector.      Rohan Amirthiah (Chair/moderator) Managing Director, Wurth Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. Ms. Subanie Ekanayake, Head of HR Processes and Systems, John Keells Group. Our female panelists were able to share their personal experiences of being a female leader.      Ms. Sharmini Ratwatte, Director MAS Investments (Pvt) Ltd. Ms. Sandya Salgado, Senior External Affairs Officer Dr Harsha Alles, Director, Gateway Group had interesting and relatable advice for the students as he incorporated examples from the student’s favourite sports teams. The students at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka were eager to learn and asked many questions.      Day 1 (Evening Session) An Interactive Workshop on “Personal Grooming” and “Corporate Hospitality” was conducted by Ms. Nayana Karunaratne, Image Consultants. Ms. Nayana Karunaratne was very energetic and captivated the students attention.       Many of the students were eager to volunteer as Ms. Nayana demonstrated important tips on exhibiting a professional image. The students were taught the importance of a proper handshake and the importance of good posture.      Day 2 (Morning Session) An Interactive workshop on “Personality Development and Confidence Building was conducted by Ms. Manique Mendis, Rainbow Resources Lanka Pvt. Ltd  She was very active and engaged the students in discussions The students were very enthusiastic and enjoyed the activities organized during the workshop very much.      Students were also given the opportunity to give a speech and gain advice on their public speaking…      Day 2 (Evening Session) An Awareness session on HIV & AIDS conducted by Hiran Nugawela (John Keells Group- HIV Master Trainer and Executive Learning and Development)       Day 3 (Morning Session) An Awareness session on Gender-Based Violence was conducted by Udeni Thewarapperum       Day 3 (Afternoon Session) Mock Interviews and CV writing conducted by Ms. Manique Mendis, Rainbow Resources Lanka Pvt. Ltd Ice-breaking activities were conducted at the beginning of the session to renew the student’s energy ….   Several students took the opportunity to participate in a mock interview…      At the end of the mock interviews, Ms. Subanie Ekanayake provided some valuable feedback specific to each interviewee As the workshop drew. As the workshop drew to a close… A representative for the entire student body came up onstage to express her sincere gratitude on behalf of all the students as the lessons they learnt would be extremely useful for their future… Dr. Yapa, Director of Career Guidance Unit (CGU), Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, also expressed his gratitude towards John Keells for organizing this event and to the student’s for their active participation and hoped they would use the valuable knowledge they learnt…     Dr. Yapa, Director of Career Guidance Unit (CGU), Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, also expressed his gratitude towards John Keells for organizing this event and to the student’s for their active participation and hoped they would use the valuable knowledge they learnt…   John Keells Foundation (JKF- Organizing Committee) (L-R): Tashya De Silva (JKF), Devanshi Fernando (JKF|), Hiran Nugawela (Group HR), Subanie Ekanayake (Group HR), Udeshi Gurusinghe (Group HR).

Another successful edition of The Final Step soft skills workshops for University undergraduates was conducted by John Keells Foundation at the University of Colombo from 7th – 9th April 2015. The programme was conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Management & Finance, attracting over 160 undergraduates each day. “The Final Step soft skills workshops organized by John Keells Foundation were very useful for me to develop my soft skills. All the content in every lecture was very resourceful to discover a new knowledge,” said Ranga Yudara, a final year student of the Department of Human Resources Management. Conducted for the twelfth successive time in a Sri Lankan University, the main objective of this programme is to enhance the employability of local graduates by providing them a realistic perspective of employment opportunities in Sri Lanka and preparing them for the demands of the private sector, as the country’s primary employer. The 2 ½ day programme consisted of a series of five workshops which covered a wide range of topics including `Employer Expectations’, `Team Building and Leadership Skills’, `Personality Development and Confidence Building’, `Adapting to the Corporate Environment’, `Personal Grooming’ and `Corporate Hospitality’. Addressing the gathering, Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, John Keells Foundation said, “The CSR vision of John Keells is “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow”; we are deeply committed to empowering young graduates like you – our future leaders – for the demands of the world of work. I believe our graduates have the knowledge and talent to succeed anywhere, but their “softer skills” need to be developed to give them that extra edge. Through workshops such as this, we hope to provide students with the tools to unleash their full potential and empower them to be successful in their future careers. We named this programme ‘The Final Step‘ because we believe it facilitates our undergraduates to step out of academic learning and step into the next phase of life – the world of work.” The programme which was initiated in 2006 is conducted in collaboration with the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the respective Universities. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Professor P.S.M. Gunaratne, Vice Chairman of the UGC, noted, “This initiative is an important one as it addresses the gap between what university students learn and what is expected of them by their employers. Soft skills are a vital part and parcel of our life skills. Many of our graduates lack these skills which in turn makes it hard for them to stand out in such a competitive job market. Programmes such as this are considered with the highest priority and importance at the UGC. Many students do not get this opportunity, I hope that both graduates and education providers are mindful of this, and more initiatives are taken to develop these skills.” The sessions on `Employer Expectations’ and ‘Team Building & Leadership Skills’ were conducted in the form of panel discussions involving senior management personnel representing diverse backgrounds and years of experience, particularly in the private sector. The panel comprised Mr. Ronnie Peiris – Group Finance Director, John Keells Holdings PLC, Ms. Sharmini Ratwatte – Non-Executive Director MAS Group, Ms. Dilani Alagaratnam, President – HR, Legal, Secretarial, Sustainability and CSR, John Keells Holdings PLC, Dr. Harsha Alles, Chairman, Gateway Group and Mr. Dileep Mudadeniya – Head of Brand Marketing, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts with Mr. Rohan Amirthiah Director, Wurth Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. as the Chair/Moderator of the panel discussions. Praveen Fernando, a 3rd Year student of the Department of Marketing said, “The workshops provided useful knowledge and skills that would undoubtedly have an impact on our lives. I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Panelists for giving their valuable time to be a part of this workshop despite their busy schedules as well as the Faculty and especially John Keells Foundation for organizing this event.” Workshops conducted by professional trainers followed, with participants being guided on how to draft an effective CV, successfully face an interview, enter and adapt to the work environment, practical tips on developing personality and confidence as well as improving personal hygiene and grooming as well as social etiquette. The interactive presentations on Personality Development & Confidence Building and Adapting to the Corporate Environment were conducted by Ms. Manique Mendis – Executive Director, Rainbow Resources Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., while those on Personal Grooming and Corporate Hospitality were conducted by Ms. Nayana Karunaratne – Director Image Consultants. “We learnt many things about speaking in public, being confident, etc. The things we learnt today will be of great help to face the challenges we would face in the future”, said Anjali, a 3rd year student of the Faculty of Management & Finance.

Sponsored and organized by John Keells Foundation in collaboration with the Career Guidance Unit (CGU) of the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. The opening ceremony was initiated with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp by the resource persons for the day and officials from the Wayamba University. The five panellists for the day seen lighting the oil lamp. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, CSR, John Keells Holdings PLC seen lighting the oil lamp Subanie Ekanayake, Project Champion lighting the oil lamp Mr. S.J.B.A. Jayasekera, Vice Chancellor of Wayamba University of Sri Lanka lighting the oil lamp. The enormous Auditorium looked alive with almost 500 eager students. Our compere for the day. The Auditorium was built for the Deyata Kirula Exhibition 2014 and housed some brilliant state of the art facilities! Welcome Address by Dr. Abeysinghe, Director, Career Guidance Unit Address by the Vice Chancellor, S.J.B.A. Jayasekera, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka Address by Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, John Keells Foundation Subanie Ekanayake, Project Champion, introduced the panellists Day 1 Panel Discussions on `Employer Expectations’ and `Team Building & Leadership Skills The panellists (L-R): Dr. Harsha Alles, Chairman, Gateway Group, Samantha Ranatunga, Managing Director/CEO, CIC Holdings PLC, Rohan Amirthiah (Chair/Moderator),Managing Director, Wurth Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Ms. Dilani Alagaratnam, President- HR, Legal & Secretarial, Sustainability and CSR, John Keells Holdings PLC, Thilan Anuradha, Director Projects, Blue Mountain Properties (Pvt) Ltd. The Moderator/Chair set the tone for the panel Each panelist gave the students some valuable advice from their own experiences regarding the topics Rohan Amirthiah (Moderator/Chair), Managing Director, Wurth Lanka (Pvt) Ltd Samantha Ranatunga, Managing Director/CEO, CIC Holdings PLC Ms. Dilani Alagaratnam, President- HR, Legal and Secretarial, Sustainability and CSR, John Keells Holdings PLC Thilan Anuradha, Director Projects, Blue Mountain Properties (Pvt) Ltd. Dr. Harsha Alles, Chairman, Gateway Group used methods of students’ interests, making it much easier for students to relate to! The students at Wayamba University were the most interactive and were very eager and confident in voicing out their questions and opinions to those present. DAY 2 The interactive workshops on ‘Personality Development & Confidence Building’ and ‘Adapting to the Corporate Environment’ were conducted by Ms. Manique Mendis, Rainbow Resources Lanka Pvt Ltd. She was very interactive in her presentation and engaged with them so well They seemed very comfortable to come forward and speak out! They learnt about making first impressions While some came forward to face a mock interview During which they were given an insight of how to behave during an interview The onlookers learnt from their peer’s mistakes DAY 3 The interactive workshop on `Personal Grooming’ and `Corporate Hospitality’ were conducted by Ms. Nayana Karunarathna, Image consultants. She too engaged with the students and made them feel very comfortable… They learnt about good posture and table etiquette The students showed a consistency in enthusiasm and cooperation! At the end of the workshop…. The officials from the University came up on stage and expressed their gratitude and appreciation A representative of the entire student body came onstage to express her gratitude and how much she and the others would value the lessons learnt during the workshop Union Assurance, Kuliyapitiya Branch fully supported the workshops and was acknowledged for their support Indika Chandimal, UA’s Kuliyapitiya Zonal Manager Collaborating parties – John Keells Foundation (JKF- Organising Committee), Career University Guidance Unit (CGU) and Union Assurance (UA)

“To take a step forward you gave the hand rail…….; The Final Step became the first step of our career”, were lines from a poem penned by W M A Hemamali, a 3rd year student from the Faculty of Management & Commerce, after participating in the John Keells soft skills workshops – branded “The Final Step” – conducted from 22nd to 24th October 2013 at the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka located in the coastal town of Oluvil in the Ampara District. This was the ninth edition of The Final Step to be rolled out by John Keells Foundation in a State University in collaboration with the Career Guidance Unit of the University, and the third such programme conducted at the invitation of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Previous beneficiaries include the Universities of Kelaniya, Moratuwa, Sri Jayewardenepura, Peradeniya and Jaffna. The workshops are aimed at enhancing the “marketability” of local graduates by providing them a realistic perspective of employment opportunities in Sri Lanka and grooming them for the demands of the private sector, as the country’s primary employer. The workshops cover a wide range of topics including `Employer Expectations’, `Team Building and Leadership Skills’, `Adapting to the Corporate Environment’, `Personality Development and Confidence Building’, `Personal Grooming’ and `Corporate Hospitality’. “We were encouraged by the UGC to conduct such soft skills programmes for the undergraduates of our university,” said Mrs. Salfiya Ummah, Director, Career Guidance Unit, SEUSL. “Therefore, we are proud to have a premier conglomerate such as John Keells Holdings assisting us in this endeavour. I am positive that this programme will make a notable impact on the future of these young graduates.” Speaking on the opening day, Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, John Keells Foundation, said, “University undergraduates represent the knowledge, talent and potential that will take Sri Lanka forward in this era of peace and progress. As a leading private sector organization in Sri Lanka, John Keells is deeply committed to preparing and equipping our future workforce, especially University undergraduates such as yourselves, for the demands of the world of work.” “Soft Skills are recognized as essential skills for the workplace, not only by the private sector but also by the public sector, said Mr. M. A. M Sameem, Director, Student Support Services & Welfare, addressing the audience on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Dr. S. M. Mohamed Ismail. “It is not only the academic qualifications that will ensure you [the undergraduates] a good job, but also the appropriate skills and attitude that will take you greater heights in your career”. Each day’s workshop attracted a capacity audience of over 330 undergraduates from various faculties. Afterwards, they thanked the presenters and the organizing committee for giving them such an opportunity. “These workshops encouraged me to improve my knowledge of English. I am determined to master the language as well improve my communication skills. The start of my confidence development came with addressing the audience at the workshop,” enthused Ganesha Ranasinghe, a Final Year B.Sc. undergraduate in Management and Information Technology. The workshops on `Employer Expectations’ and `Team Building and Leadership Skills’ were conducted in the form of panel discussions involving senior management personnel representing diverse backgrounds and a variety of experience in the private sector. The panel comprised of Mr. Faizal Salieh (Managing Director & CEO, Amana Bank), Mr. Suresh Muttiah (Head of HR – Retail Sector, John Keells Group) , Ms Sharmini Ratwatte (Director, MAS Investments (Pvt) Ltd), Mr. Ashan Jenabdeen (Senior Business Analyst, Virtusa Pvt Ltd) and Mr. Anthony Jayaranjan (Independent Director, Lankem Ceylon PLC) who acted as Chair/ Moderator of the Panel. Responding to repeated questions by students of the Faculty of Arts and Culture on their career prospects in the private sector, the panelists underlined that every graduate, regardless of the course of study opted by them, is equipped with the necessary analytical and problem solving skills which are valued in the corporate world. It is each person’s attitude, “can do” approach and willingness to learn which will help them succeed in their career. “The panel discussions gave me a lot of perspective,” said M. N. Mohammed Bilal, a Final year HR student of the Faculty of Management & Commerce. These workshops showed me the importance of being proactive instead of being passive with the knowledge I have gained. I will be constantly assessing myself and re-evaluating my life and career. I hope that my fellow students will also evaluate themselves and their career choices with the knowledge and points discussed today.” The interactive workshops were conducted by trainers, Ms. Manique Mendis and Ms. Dammi Peiris of Rainbow Resources Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. The workshops guided the participants on how to draft an effective CV, successfully face an interview, win the job and adapt to the work environment. The mock interviews conducted by the trainer and John Keells HR volunteer drew an enthusiastic response from the students. Many, who had never faced an interview, volunteered to come forward for the mock interview in view of hundreds of their peers and answer questions such as “name one of your weaknesses” with a fair degree of confidence. The students also received useful tips on developing their personality and confidence as well as improving their personal image, grooming and social etiquette. John Keells Foundation intends to take The Final Step programme to other universities of the country with the support of the UGC, the respective universities and leading business personalities who wish to share their knowledge and expertise in building human capital in the country.