Sri Lanka is searching for pathways to faster economic growth, greater social stability and improved living standards. Yet beneath the debates about debt, investment and development lies a challenge that could determine the nation’s future more than any single infrastructure project or economic reform: the growing number of young people disconnected from education, employment and training.

For thousands of young Sri Lankans, the journey from school to meaningful employment has become increasingly uncertain. Many leave school with qualifications but little direction. Others find that, even after years of education, their skills do not match modern employers’ needs. The result is a generation whose aspirations often exceed the opportunities available to them.

Official estimates suggest that approximately 17.2% of Sri Lankans aged 15–24 are classified as NEET — not in education, employment or training. Among those aged 15–29, the figure approaches 25%, indicating that as many as one in four young people may be disengaged from both learning and productive work. The consequences extend far beyond unemployment.

Young people who remain disconnected from opportunities are more vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and long-term economic hardship. At a national level, high NEET rates represent a significant loss of human potential and can contribute to lower productivity, slower economic growth and increased social pressures.

Countries such as Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Denmark have shown that low NEET rates can coexist with high levels of prosperity, social mobility, and economic competitiveness. Their experience raises an important question: could Sri Lanka make similar progress by focusing more effectively on skills development and workforce readiness?

The Education-to-Employment Disconnect

Each year, thousands of Sri Lankan students complete their Advanced Level examinations. Around 65% meet the qualifications required for university entrance, yet only a fraction secure places in the state university system. As a result, only about 16% of all Advanced Level students ultimately enter a state university, leaving the vast majority to seek alternative pathways. However, university admission alone cannot solve the problem.

Employers routinely report difficulty finding candidates with practical workplace skills, communication abilities, project-management experience, critical-thinking capacity, and problem-solving skills. At the same time, graduate unemployment remains a persistent concern.

The problem is not a lack of intelligence or ambition among Sri Lanka’s young people. Rather, it is a growing mismatch between the skills produced by parts of the education and training system and those required by a rapidly changing economy.

A Digital Solution to a National Challenge

We believe Sri Lanka should create a Virtual Skills Development Centre (VSDC) — a nationwide digital platform designed to connect young people directly with opportunities for learning, mentoring, employment and entrepreneurship.

Unlike conventional institutions that depend heavily on physical infrastructure, a virtual centre could be accessible from almost anywhere in the country. A young person in Monaragala, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar or Anuradhapura could potentially access many of the same opportunities as someone living in Colombo. This is where the concept becomes transformative.

Instead of expecting young people to navigate a fragmented system of training providers, universities, vocational institutions, employers and government agencies, the VSDC could bring these services together within a single digital ecosystem.

Connecting Aspirations with Opportunities

Imagine a platform where young people create profiles outlining their education, interests, skills, talents and career aspirations.

The system could then use appropriate assessment tools, including emerging artificial intelligence technologies, to identify strengths, highlight skills gaps, recommend learning pathways and connect individuals with apprenticeships, internships, employment opportunities, mentors and professional certification programmes.

At the same time, employers could advertise vacancies and apprenticeships, specify the skills they require, and outline the support they can provide. Artificial intelligence and advanced matching technologies could help connect suitable candidates with available opportunities more efficiently and transparently than traditional recruitment systems.

Such a platform would provide much more than training. It could offer young people a roadmap from aspiration to achievement.

Bringing Opportunity to Every Corner of Sri Lanka

Perhaps the greatest strength of a Virtual Skills Development Centre would be its ability to reduce geographical barriers.

For decades, opportunities in higher education, training and employment have been concentrated in major urban centres. Rural communities have often struggled to access the same quality of services available in larger cities.

A virtual platform could change this equation.

Career counselling, skills assessments, mentoring, apprenticeship opportunities, entrepreneurship support and specialised training could be made available online. Opportunity would depend less on where someone lives and more on their willingness and ability to learn and develop.

The centre should also operate fully in Sinhala, Tamil and English, ensuring that language does not become another barrier to participation.

Preparing for the Economy of the Future

The world of work is changing rapidly. Digital literacy, data skills, artificial intelligence awareness, remote-working capabilities and continuous learning are increasingly important for success.

Industries such as software development, renewable energy, digital services, logistics, advanced manufacturing, tourism and entrepreneurship require skills that may not always be adequately reflected in traditional curricula.

A VSDC could continuously analyse labour-market trends and adapt its programmes accordingly. Instead of preparing learners primarily for yesterday’s jobs, it could help prepare them for tomorrow’s opportunities.

This capacity for continuous adaptation could prove invaluable in an era of rapid technological change.

Building a Culture of Inclusion

A well-designed VSDC could also become a powerful instrument for social inclusion.

Young women, persons with disabilities, school leavers, people from low-income households and communities affected by conflict can face additional barriers to opportunity. A digital platform can reach these groups more effectively than many conventional institutions.

Rather than serving only those who are already advantaged, the system could be deliberately designed to support those who need assistance most.

In doing so, it could strengthen social mobility and help reduce longstanding inequalities.

Data That Could Transform Policy

Beyond its direct benefits to users, the VSDC could generate valuable national intelligence.

Through appropriately governed and anonymised data on skills, aspirations, workforce shortages and employment trends, the platform could help create a comprehensive National Skills and Aspirations Database.

Policymakers could gain better information about emerging industries, regional workforce gaps and areas requiring investment. This could allow education, training and employment policies to be driven increasingly by evidence rather than assumptions.

In a rapidly changing economy, such intelligence could become one of Sri Lanka’s most valuable strategic assets.

Governance Will Be Critical

The success of any national initiative depends not only on vision but also on governance.

We believe the VSDC should be overseen by an independent, merit-based and industry-led board. Business leaders, educators, technology specialists, governance experts, and learner representatives could shape its strategic direction while ensuring accountability and performance.

Government would play a vital enabling role through policy support, partnerships, regulation, and quality assurance, but should not necessarily manage the platform day-to-day.

Political interference must be avoided. If the VSDC becomes another politically controlled institution, it could eventually become another expensive ‘white elephant’.

Board members should therefore be appointed on merit, with clearly defined responsibilities, measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) and regular performance reviews. No individual should hold a position indefinitely simply because of political patronage or institutional connections.

The objective must be simple: performance, accountability and results rather than political loyalty.

An Investment in the Nation’s Future

Sri Lanka’s greatest natural resource has never been its land, minerals or geographical location. It is its people. Yet every year, thousands of capable young Sri Lankans remain disconnected from opportunities that could enable them to contribute meaningfully to society and the economy.

A Virtual Skills Development Centre could offer a practical and scalable response to this challenge. By linking education with employment, aspirations with opportunity and talent with demand, it could help transform Sri Lanka’s human-capital landscape.

If the country is serious about reducing its NEET rate, improving workforce productivity, attracting investment and building a more inclusive society, the question may no longer be whether Sri Lanka needs a Virtual Skills Development Centre.

The more pressing question is how quickly we can bring such a vision to life.

That requires leadership, coordination and a willingness to move beyond traditional institutional boundaries. Most importantly, it requires national leadership from the Prime Minister to recognise skills development and the transition from education to employment as a national priority.

Sri Lanka cannot afford to leave a generation of young people waiting for opportunity. We need to create the pathways that allow them to find it — and the Virtual Skills Development Centre could be an important step in doing so.