Dr Sarath Obeysekera

While the world is building trillion-dollar energy infrastructure, Sri Lanka is still proudly producing certificate holders” in cake decorating, beauty culture, and basic hotel service. We are training thousands for low-income survival jobs while countries like Qatar are building a global industrial empire with welders, pipe fitters, offshore fabricators, subsea cable specialists, heavy equipment operators, and industrial technicians.

Look at the massive North Field Expansion Project in Qatar undertaken by  McDermott Ltd 

 This is not a small construction site. It involves hundreds of miles of offshore pipelines, subsea cables, LNG infrastructure, fabrication yards, offshore platforms, and highly specialized engineering systems.  

Qatar is increasing LNG production from 77 million tonnes annually to over 126 million tonnes, and possibly 142 million tonnes with future phases.  

Ask a painful question:

Where are the Sri Lankan welders in these projects?
Where are our underwater fabricators?
Where are our LNG pipe fitters?
Where are our offshore electricians and heavy industrial technicians?

Instead, our vocational institutes continue producing low-paid labor for salons, kitchens, and housekeeping jobs overseas.

There is dignity in all work. Hairdressers, bakers, and hotel workers are important. But a nation cannot build an industrial future if the majority of vocational training is directed toward low-wage service sectors while the world is desperately searching for industrial manpower.

The Middle East, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Africa are investing billions in:

• Offshore energy
• LNG plants
• Shipbuilding
• Marine engineering
• Port infrastructure
• Renewable energy
• Heavy steel fabrication
• Robotics and industrial automation
• Underwater construction

Sri Lanka should be preparing its youth for these sectors NOW.

If the proposed industrial and energy developments in Trincomalee ever become reality, we will face a national embarrassment. Foreign companies will bring Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Bangladeshi skilled workers because Sri Lanka failed to train its own people.

We already see this happening quietly in many industries.

Even local shipyards and factories struggle to find certified welders, CNC machinists, industrial electricians, marine mechanics, and coded pipe welders. Yet every town has beauty culture academies and quick diploma” centers.

Sri Lanka needs a complete revolution in vocational education.

We must establish modern technical academies linked directly to future industries:

• LNG and offshore energy training centers
• Marine and shipbuilding institutes
• Underwater welding schools
• Industrial robotics labs
• Heavy fabrication yards
• Port equipment maintenance academies
• Renewable energy technician schools
• Subsea engineering support programs

Countries like Qatar do not become rich by accident. They invest in skills aligned with national economic strategy. Their projects are executed in-country” using local fabrication yards and trained manpower.  

Sri Lanka still behaves as if vocational training is merely social welfare.

It should instead become a national economic weapon.

A young Sri Lankan industrial welder working in LNG, offshore fabrication, or subsea construction can earn several times more than many white-collar office workers. Skilled technicians today are globally valuable assets.

Parents also must change their mindset. Not every child should be pushed toward weak university degrees with no employment value. A highly trained industrial technician may have a stronger future than many graduates carrying certificates with no market demand.

The tragedy is that Sri Lanka actually has the raw talent.

Our workers built ships in Colombo docks. Our divers repaired vessels underwater. Our craftsmen worked across the Middle East for decades. But successive governments failed to modernize vocational training for the industries of the future.

If Trincomalee becomes an energy and industrial hub one day, Sri Lanka has two choices:

Either we create a generation of highly paid skilled industrial workers…

Or we stand outside the gates watching foreign workers build our future for us.

300 miles

pipelines

140 miles

33kV subsea cables

2022

awarded

77 to 126 MTPA

increase annual LNG output (1/3 of global production)

Scope

Fabrication & Installation

Location

Offshore Qatar

300 miles

pipelines

140 miles

33kV subsea cables

2022

awarded

77 to 126 MTPA

increase annual LNG output (1/3 of global production)

Scope

Fabrication & Installation

Location

Offshore Qatar

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera