The Chinafort Gem and Jewellery Trade Association (CGJTA) in collaboration with President Guild Institute of Gemology and Guild Gem Laboratories, Senior Vice President Andy Lucas, will open a gem training laboratory in Beruwela this year.
Two of the features of this would be that the entire training service would be provided free and 50% of the trainees will be women. “In addition an internationally accepted certificate too would be provided to participants who successfully complete the course,” said CGJTA Vice Chairman Rizwan Nayeem.
“We are doing this to promote more female technical staff to be enrolled in the industry,” he said adding, “We hope to recruit around 25 for the first course and the duration of the course would be around nine months.”
He said that this would be one of the latest CSR initiatives that the CGJTA is organising and tier members have provided venues free in the Gem Tower to set up the training institution. The training and course material would be coordinated by the Guild Institute of Gemology.
He said that the Chinafort Beruwala Gem Market is the largest association for gem trade in Sri Lanka with over 2,000 members island-wide and also the oldest and largest open air gem market in the world. “Hence there will be tremendous opportunities for youth who pass out from this centre to find employment. They can even gain foreign employment as the certificate we provide will be accepted all over the world.” CGJTA will hold its inaugural Gem Trade Fair from January 11 to 13 at 2024 at the Cinnamon Bentota Beach Resort.
“This event will pave the way to shed light on Sri Lanka’s immense potential for growth in the gemstone trade, as the country’s availability of timeless and rare natural stones is yet to be fully realised.”
Gem Sri Lanka Chairman Hilmy Cassim said, “We are excited to launch Gem Sri Lanka, the platform to introduce and expose our young talent to the international market, whereby we connect the source to the world.”
GSL is fully endorsed by National Gem and Jewellery Authority) and the Export Development Board.