Beyond degrees: Creating future- ready workforce for Sri Lanka

THE future of Sri Lanka's economy depends not only on investment and policy but on how well the country prepares its people for the world of work.

- By Udaya Rathnayake

The Government is pushing forward with significant reforms to revamp the education system, from modernising curricula to expanding vocational training pathways. These initiatives deserve appreciation. They demonstrate a recognition that the nation cannot build a resilient future with outdated methods of teaching and learning.

In an increasingly competitive world, equipping students and employees with modern skills is crucial for both social progress and economic stability. Yet, despite these promising efforts, fundamental questions remain about whether the country is truly preparing its people to be future-ready and whether the billions spent on free education are delivering an adequate return on investment.

This paradox becomes most evident when examining the unemployment and labour force participation data. According to the Department of Census and Statistics (Q1, 2025), Sri Lanka's unemployment rate for females stands at 6.3%, compared to only 2.5% for males. On the surface, these numbers may seem modest compared to global extremes, but they mask deeper structural issues. Women make up 51.9% of Sri Lanka's population, yet their labour force participation rate is only 32%, which is far below the global average. In contrast, men participate at a rate more than double that of women. This is not a story of lack of education. University Grants Commission statistics show that nearly 65% of undergraduate students in Sri Lanka are women. In fact, the highest unemployment rates are reported among those with GCE A/L qualifications and above. The burning question is straightforward: if women dominate universities, where do they stand in the job market?