"We have to create a climate of lifelong learning and provide credible guidance.
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"There is a greater responsibility cast on all of us, not only the government, the educators but as stakeholders of society, to equip the youth with the market-relevant knowledge, skills and the right attitude so they can have the right competencies to meet the challenges of today's world," Kamal Abeysinghe of the EDEX educational fair said.
The Royal College Union, representing past students of Royal College in Colombo, launched the national higher education and careers expo, called EDEX, in 2003, to cater to students who do not enter state universities after the Advanced Level examination.
Edex officials say Sri Lanka's free education system needs to teach students skills that are wanted by the industry and enterprise.
Students need to know which skills are demanded and how to get them, if they fail to enter university.
Skills Gap
The main issue faced by employers is the lack of awareness o