SriLankan Aviation College (SLAC) will set up training centres in the North and the East this year to create interest in the aviation industry among youth in the area and tap their potential for the growth of the industry, SLAC, General Manager Primal de Silva told the media during a tour of the college last week.
The Aviation College plans to set up franchise operations at regional level to create awareness and harness the talents of youth to the aviation industry that offers multiple opportunities for career development.
“We will set up branches in Jaffna and Batticaloa, probably this year, following the success of the programs conducted in Galle last year. A minimum of 20 participants will be enrolled in each batch,” de Silva said.
Currently a batch from Galle is undergoing ground staff training at the College.
“They are eager to learn the trade and make a career in life. We want more youth to come to know the industry and its scope,” he said.
The SriLankan Aviation College set up in 2012 has forayed into many avenues for students to obtain in-house training leading to diploma and degree pathways in partnership with local universities.
Plans are afoot to launch a BSc degree in aircraft maitainence and aircraft management with Swinburne and Kingston universities. Both courses will be offered as in-house programs in Sri Lanka.
“We are currently discussing the arrangement with the foreign universities and hopefully we will launch the program this year,” de Silva said.
A foundation program is offered for students who have not secured two credit passes at the GCE Advanced Level Examination in the Mathematics stream. Regarding the cost effective aspect of the training programs, de Silva said students could secure loans through banks on reasonable terms to follow the programs which offers enormous prospects in the country and overseas.
He said those who are attached to the aviation industry in the Middle East have some affiliation to the Sri Lankan Aviation College. The in-house on the job training offered by the College is unmatched. The Sri Lankan aviation industry has stolen the limelight in the global aviation sector for its professional training that has brought prestige to the country.
“It is not only prestige, but also much needed foreign exchange is brought to the country through the aviation industry. The students who pass out as aircraft engineers are always up for grabs in the international arena,” an official of the College said.
The Aviation College plans to set up an aviation training hub in Mattala with foreign collaboration.
“This plan has been in the pipeline for some time and we are working on it. The cost of the project would be around USD 250 million,” the official said. SLAC has added many feathers to its cap being recognized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as its regional partner in Asia and one of the top 10 training centres in the world. The SLAC’S relations with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) exceed 10 years as South Asia’s foremost EASA 147 approved training centre. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has recogniZed SLAC to provide ICAO training programs. SLAC conducts programs in affiliation with state universities. The University of Moratuwa and Colombo collaborates with SLAC to offer co-branded programs in the travel and tourism sector. SLAC has obtained ISO29990:2010 and the ISO 9001:2015 certifications. SLAC is one of the 25 regional training partners of IATA certified by five countries. However the perception of aviation in Sri Lanka is that the scope in the industry is limited as there is only one airline for the country.
“The aviation college has withstood many challenges and has performed well over the years bringing foreign exchange to the country. Our aim is to be the leading aviation training institute in the world,” De Silva said.