By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): According to the current economic and social changes, the Korean Employment Permit System will be restructured, which is expected to increase the employment quota given to Sri Lankan workers, Korean Employment and Labour Minister Lee Jung-sik said.
While having a meeting with Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, a Korean in Parliament, the Labour Minister said that through this restructuring, he hopes to expand the opportunities available to Sri Lanka, especially in various industrial sectors and specialized service sectors.
The Korean Employment and Labuor Minister expressed his appreciation for the measures taken by the Sri Lankan government to teach Korean to Sri Lankans and stated that he hopes to continue the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and other cooperation programmes.
The Korean government 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 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.
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.
