USAID Launches Youth Employment and Skills Project in Central Province

Visiting U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Daniel Rosenblum opened the Kandy YouLead office on February 2, which will expand employment opportunities for youth in the Central Province.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Central Province, YouLead is a 1.8-billion-rupee program ($12 million) launched in 2017 that creates a more market–oriented, skilled, and flexible Sri Lankan workforce. YouLead supports youth employability and self-employment opportunities and improves vocational skills and training initiatives in targeted sectors.

“In order for Sri Lanka to maintain inclusive economic growth, youth must have the skills and opportunities they need for successful careers that align with market demand,” Rosenblum said. “The U.S. Government, through the YouLead program, looks forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with the Government of Sri Lanka, the Chambers of Commerce, business community, and the region’s public and private training institutes.”

YouLead works in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Northern Provinces, which have some of the highest rates of youth unemployment. YouLead’s regional office in Kandy, located within the Chamber office, will work closely with Chamber members as well as public and private vocational training institutes in the region to develop partnerships and career development opportunities to support youth employment in the Central Province.