About...

Proposal to meet the demand for Quantity Surveyors in

the construction industry which compiled by:
Sri Lankan Quantity Surveyors – United Arab Emirates

Although there exist many opportunities for lucrative

employment in this region for Sri Lankans, it seems that no
Sri Lankan organization has ever under taken any empiri-
cal research in the recent past to identify the current and
future demand for human resources and make necessary
arrangements to meet such demand by structuring the
supply reservoirs. This was evident from many sectors;
mainly in the construction industry, oil and gas industry,
aviation industry, bank industry, and hospital industry;
which are looking forward for trained, educated, and quality
people to come up.
Being in the quantity surveying field in the construction
industry for a quite some period, many of us had felt that
opportunities in international market had not been correctly
addressed by our systems back in Sri Lanka. Officers in our
diplomatic mission in the UAE also had the similar thoughts
and then they requested us to submit proposals for “future
plan to cater the job market in this region” enabling them to
forward the same to the Sri Lankan Government.

As this was a major opportunity for us to convey the magni-

tude of quantity surveying profession to the Government,
the Consulate General’s Office request was passed to the
SLQS-UAE.

It is an honor to state here that the coordination between

the parties was entrusted to the writer as a member of the
SLQS-UAE working committee at the time of the request
was being made. Thereafter a sub-committee was
appointed and the objectives of the committee were estab-
lished by SLQS-UAE.

Following massage was circulated among the sub-

committee by the writer to inform the appointment and the
objectives of the SLQS-UAE.
Concurring to the programme for submission of report to the relevant institute,
the draft proposals were complied on 30th September 2005. Content of the draft
report was discussed with several institutes in Sri Lanka and the immediate
response was commendable. Thereafter, the follow up sessions and compilation
was carried out by Mr. Saman Edirisinghe and Mr. Renchen Perera. Many
improvements were made and finally, on behalf of the SLQS-UAE, the Report
was handed over to the His Excellence the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda
Rajapakshe on 17th July 2007 by Mr. Ajantha Premarathna, Mr. Saman Ediris-
inghe, and Mr. Edward Jayathunga at a small ceremony held at the President’s
Residence in Sri Lanka.
Followings were the few proposals included in the Report...
1) BSc Degree Course in University of Morartuwa
• Proposal to organize universities to conduct general awareness program at
national level for the students who sat the GCE Advanced level Examination.
• Submit proposals to the relevant Minister, to make laws creating new
positions in government departments so that opportunities will be available for
Quantity Surveyors to make their contribution at a national level.
• Expanding Facilities (building, IT, library) in the Department of Building
Economics, University of Moratuwa, to increase the intake of students since the
current academic staff can serve 50 students.
• Introduce BSc(QS) degree course to Ruhuna and Peradeniya universities and
increase the intake in order to cater the local and international demand

2) Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL)

• Provide an honors degree in quantity surveying from the Open University of
Sri Lanka (OUSL).
• Provide an academic qualification leading to memberships of professional
institutes.
• Provide an opportunity for further studies to those QSs who are in employment
without such qualifications.
• Contribute to the national income by enhancing QS supply to the construction
industry locally and internationally.
• Save financial drain to foreign colleges, universities and institutions to follow BSc
(QS) courses.

3) NCT Course:
• Provide qualified and experienced lecturers to conduct lectures.
• Conduct IELTS or TOEAFL or similar courses to enhance the English knowledge
of the subject to both lecturers and students. The course shall be conducted in
the English medium.
• Provide sufficient resources to maintain the continuity of the course which had
been discontinued in several Technical Colleges due to the lack of lecturers and
other facilities.
• Organize awareness program to avoid poor response to the course due to the
lack of knowledge of this course by school leavers and the public.
• Upgrade the certificate to the internationally recognized standard.
Proposals and activities of several other institutes were also discussed in the Report.
Dear members, it is my pleasure to note here that, Sri Lankan budget proposals
for the Year 2008 had considered SLQS-UAE proposals and had taken steps to
increase the intake of students to the Moratuwa University by three times of
their original intake on the Silver Jubilee of the faculty. Further, SLQS-UAE
objective number 4 has been materialized, i.e. “IQS organization should be able
to take the Government recognition by Act of Parliament”.

Illustrations are below for our achievements.

• Budget 2008
Budget 2008 - Part II
Budget Proposals - Foreign Employm
ent
15. In the area of foreign employment
, there is a major demand for profes
sional such as doctors, trained nurses -
and quantity surveyors. To meet the
demand relating to nurses, the Minis
try of Foreign Employment Promotio
and Welfare and the Ministry of Healt n
hcare and Nutrition have together
introduced a programme through wh
ich 500 nurses are sent for foreign
employment each year.

Further, I propose to increase the int

ake of students to be trained as quanti
surveyors from 50 to 150 and alloca ty
te Rs. 75 million to expand the requir
facilities at the University of Moratuw ed
a in 2008. It is proposed to set up an
Employment Placement Coordinatio
n Centre in order to assist foreign
employment of professionals.

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/200
7/11/08/bus10.asp

• Appreciations
President
From: "Lalith Weeratunga" Secretary to
ates.net.ae>
To: "Edward Jayathunge" <eda@emir
AM
Sent: Saturday, November 17,20078:12
e Q.S. Intake
Subject: Re: Budget proposal to increas

Dear Edward, rything in

's efforts. It was his directive that set eve
Thank you for your appreciation of H.E and more
nt to SL and we will ensure that more
motion. Your profession is so importa
people are trained to be QSs.
Warm regards.
Lalith Weeratunga
ka
Secretary to H.E the President of Sri Lan
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1.
• Acknowledgement
Proposals Submission to the H.E. the President of Sri Lanka - 17th July 2007

We are proud to say that, our effort as SLQS-UAE Group has reached another mile-
stone by convincing the Sri Lankan Government to recognize the importance of the
Quantity Surveying profession and its contribution to our motherland and the results of
which no doubt will pay the way to surge the influx of our tomorrow’s Quantity Survey-
ors to the Gulf in 100s if not in 1000s.

Yet we have another challenge to be faced. That is the SLQS-UAE objective 5. Though
the SLQS–UAE committee wants to include prospect for school leavers, the sub-
committee propose SLQS–UAE to conduct workshop in Sri Lanka under the education
programme. This is required to be considered by the present working committee of the
SLQS-UAE.

Last, but not least, continuations and maintaining the unity, integrity and delivering
diligently may overcome the challenges lie ahead of us in the prevailing extremely
aggressive and competitive market of the region.

As an ex sub-committee member
Yasas Dharmadasa BSc (Hons), MRICS,
Member of APQSE – Sri Lanka