Skills Expo 2025: Powering Sri Lanka’s future workforce in tourism

THE Tourism Industry Skills Council (TISC) is once again stepping up to the plate, announcing the much-anticipated Skills Expo 2025, a national conference and exhibition designed to bridge Sri Lanka’s skills gap and tackle youth unemployment head-on.

- By TANIA DE SILVA

Following the success of its debut in 2023, this year’s event promises to be larger scale and even more impactful. Organised under the umbrella of the Industry Sector Skills Councils (ISSCs) and supported by the Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education Ministry, the expo will take place on 10-11 October, at the Temple Trees Convention Centre in Colombo. Doors open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with free entry for all.

Last year’s inaugural event, led by the Automobile Industry Skills Council, set the tone for a powerful national dialogue on skills development. The ISSCs, formed in 2016 under the guidance of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) and the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA), are industry-led, government-backed bodies tasked with identifying skills shortages, boosting workforce competency, and promoting vocational careers.

For a country where 22% of youth aged 15-24 face unemployment, the Skills Expo is such a lifeline. It’s also a platform for migrant returnees to update their skillsets and reenter the workforce with confidence.