Sail Lanka Yachting Group (SLYG) and Building a Future Foundation are to replicate in the North their boat-building and marine training project for youth in the South.
Following the launch of the project in Velanai in the Jaffna district, Chairman of SLYG, Pierre Pringiers, said, “Our idea is to replicate in the north of Sri Lanka, the successful ‘Building a Future Foundation’ project which we developed in the South, following the devastating tsunami of 2004.
BAFF has already created hundreds of employment opportunities for young people in the yachting industry in the South, and we hope to replicate this in Jaffna. Twelve youth from the north have already followed a theoretical and practical training course of 12-months duration at the BAFF training centre in the South.”
“We believe Jaffna has the potential to be our new hub for marine and experiential tourism. It will become our third centre of operations after Mirissa and the Port City Colombo Marina, and will allow us to develop local and cross-border tourism. The 540-square metre SLYG training centre and boatyard is on a 4.5 acre block of land in Velanai,” he said.
The Jaffna training centre will conduct courses in the basic skills of mechanical engineering, electricity, welding, refrigeration and air-conditioning, followed by hands-on experience in dedicated boat building, and outboard and inboard engine repair and maintenance. The courses which will be conducted over one year will comprise a mixture of theory and practical training to enable the graduates to work in the developing boat manufacturing industry in Sri Lanka. The practical training will be in the manufacture of yachts such as the Ocean Diamond - an 80-foot floating boutique hotel, and the Ceycat – a 55-foot sailing catamaran for water-based tourism in Sri Lanka and overseas.
“The new boatyard and marine training centre will provide boat-building training for up to 100 youth with an opportunity to develop new livelihood skills,” the founder of Sail Lanka and Co-Founder, BAFF said.
“The training is totally free and all students will also be provided free breakfast, lunch, safety equipment and a daily allowance,” Pringiers said. When they complete the training, they will be offered NAITA (National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority) and BAFF certificates, which are valid locally and internationally.”