Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-02-23

Graduate Trainee Scheme

- Graduates had been recruited directly to the Public Service of Sri Lanka initially, and almost all the graduates have been provided with Government employment opportunities about the year 1964. The Graduate Trainee Scheme for the unemployed graduates commenced in the year 1971 and the various Governments which came into power from time to time, have recruited graduates into the Public Service under Graduate Trainee Schemes. In the year 2005 the total actual cadre of the Public Service was 900,642 and by the year 2014 it depicted a rapid increased up to 1,302,258 and during this period 88,609 graduates were recruited to the Public Service as 'Development Officers'. However, the recruitment of graduates into the Public Service in this manner as a remedy for unemployment has created a situation where the expected service from them could not be obtained. Accordingly, taking into consideration, the proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, the Minister of Finance, the Cabinet approved to employ more productively, the Development Officers already recruited, after reviewing the cadre requirement of the Public Service, and to recruit in future into the Public Service, the graduates equipped with necessary subject knowledge and skills to uphold the Public Service, on par with the modern challenges, only for the vacancies identified as per the service requirement and depending only on results of the competitive examinations.