By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): The Korean government today assured that they have taken necessary measures to open up new employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in Korea and increase the number of jobs provided to Sri Lankans.
The decision was announced following an official meeting between Korea Labour and Employment Minister Lee Jung-Sik and Minister Manusha Nanayakkara today at the Ministry.
On the invitation of the Sri Lanka Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, Korean Minister Lee Jung-Sik arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday morning for a two-day official visit.
They had a long discussion on taking necessary measures to get more employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in Korea.
The Korean Minister told Minister Nanayakkara that after 20 years the EPS system under which foreigners are recruited for employment in South Korea will be amended and as a result Sri Lankan job aspirants will get more opportunities to work in Korea.
Minister Nanayakkara requested that Korea opens up new employment fields such as the garment sector and caregiver sector, and received a positive response from the Korean Minister.
It was discussed that a large number of workers are needed for jobs in the Korean ship construction industry and that there are more opportunities for Sri Lankan skilled workers in that sector.
Minister Lee Jung-Sik further assured the fullest support to every step taken in the future to provide more employment opportunities to Sri Lankans in Korea by further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The minister further stated that the agreement was made during a discussion held between the two parties
It had also been agreed to refer 600 people who are currently registered on the Korean job website after passing the Korean language proficiency test under the production sector category for jobs in the shipbuilding sector.
Priority will be given to job seekers registered on the website, whose period for securing a job will expire by December 31 this year.
Accordingly, these jobs are to be provided by shifting the job category from the production sector of the website to the ship construction sector.
Thus, candidates who are willing to change their job category from production to the shipbuilding industry should apply for it as soon as possible, he said.
Minister Nanayakkara also stated that the Korean Human Resources Department has also agreed to conduct examinations and recruit 900 welders and painters for jobs in the shipbuilding industry under the E9 visa category from next year.
He added that the Director of the Korean Human Resources Department has also informed that from next year, the Korean Language Proficiency Test will be conducted using the UBT system instead of the current computer-based CBT system.
