{"id":152526,"date":"2025-10-12T16:42:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T23:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=152526"},"modified":"2025-10-12T16:42:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T23:42:57","slug":"integration-of-virtual-welding-training-into-nvq-level-curriculum-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/10\/12\/integration-of-virtual-welding-training-into-nvq-level-curriculum-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Integration of Virtual Welding Training into NVQ-Level Curriculum in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Prepared by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Sarath Obeysekera
Chairman \u2013 Advisory Board on Offshore and Marine Industry Development
Under the Export Development Board (EDB),\u00a0
IDMS welding school<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s shipbuilding, offshore fabrication, and heavy engineering industries face a growing shortage of certified welders meeting international standards (ASME, AWS, ISO 9606). Traditional welding training methods, while effective, are limited by high costs of consumables, workshop safety risks, and constrained training space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Globally, virtual welding simulators are transforming welder training. They provide an immersive, interactive platform for trainees to practice welding techniques safely and repeatedly before moving to real hardware. Integrating such technology into the NVQ system can significantly enhance both efficiency and output of Sri Lanka\u2019s vocational training centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Objective<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To introduce and institutionalise Virtual Welding Simulation Technology as an entry-level and intermediate training tool within NVQ Levels 3\u20135 for welding and fabrication courses, thereby:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Reducing training time and material costs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Improving learner engagement, safety, and skill retention<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Producing globally employable welders for the offshore, marine, and industrial sectors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Virtual Welding Lab Setup<\/td>Installation of 2\u20134 VR welding simulators (Fronius, Soldamatic, or Lincoln) per center.<\/td><\/tr>
Trainer Upskilling<\/td>Intensive Train-the-Trainer\u201d module on simulation technology and data-based performance feedback.<\/td><\/tr>
Hybrid Curriculum<\/td>30% simulation + 70% hardware training blended into existing NVQ Level 3\u20135 modules.<\/td><\/tr>
Digital Evaluation<\/td>Automatic performance scoring for travel speed, torch angle, arc length, and bead uniformity.<\/td><\/tr>
Industry Linkage<\/td>Partnerships with Colombo Dockyard, CINEC, and offshore engineering firms for practical<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>. Expected Outcomes<\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 30% faster skill acquisition and 35% higher test pass rates<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 40% reduction in consumable cost and workshop power use<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Enhanced attraction of youth, including women trainees<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Standardized national-level performance tracking<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Readiness for employment in offshore, shipyard, and export fabrication projects<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partners & Support Requested<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 TVEC \/ Ministry of Industries: Curriculum endorsement and NVQ integration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 EDB: Policy and funding facilitation under Blue Economy initiative<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Private Sector (Colombo Dockyard, Thanthri Marine Port Authority for Industry placement and sponsorship<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Donor\/CSR Support: Equipment funding and trainer exchange programs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The integration of Virtual Welding Simulation into Sri Lanka\u2019s vocational training ecosystem will modernize national skills development, reduce costs, and create a new generation of internationally employable welders aligned with the country\u2019s Offshore Industry Development Strategy centered in Trincomalee and Colombo.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Prepared by: Dr. Sarath ObeysekeraChairman \u2013 Advisory Board on Offshore and Marine Industry DevelopmentUnder the Export Development Board (EDB),\u00a0IDMS welding school Background Sri Lanka\u2019s shipbuilding, offshore fabrication, and heavy engineering industries face a growing shortage of certified welders meeting international standards (ASME, AWS, ISO 9606). Traditional welding training methods, while effective, are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sarath-obeysekera"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152526"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":152527,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152526\/revisions\/152527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}