Automobile Engineering Workers felicitated under the Caltex Scholarship Programme

Photo caption: (L-R) A participant of the Caltex scholarship course receiving the certificate from Hon Dullas Alahapperuma, Minister of Youth Affairs. Mr.Gamini Manchanayake, Director/Principal Ceylon German Tech Training Institute and Mr.Kishu Gomes, MD/CEO of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC are also present in photo.

 

3rd November  2010 – Colombo, Sri Lanka: Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC recently held a felicitation ceremony for all participants who completed the ‘Caltex Automobile Engineering Scholarship Course 2010’. The scholarship programme was conducted under the patronage of the Ministry of Youth Affairs. Students from the initial five batches of the Caltex Scholarship Programme received special recognition and were awarded certificates to commemorate the completion of the course.

 

Launched on the  on the 23rd of February 2010, the public-private partnership formed between Caltex and the Ministry of Youth affairs helped open opportunities for Sri Lanka’s youth to keep abreast with the latest developments in technology in the automobile industry.

 

The course was initiated by Caltex as a long-term strategy to elevate the industry standards through competency development and exposure to industry best practices, through which a significant number of automobile engineering workers will be able to contribute more effectively towards sustainable development in this sector.

 

“Enhancing the skills of these workers will not only impact the value contributed to the customer with a more efficient service, but also improve vehicle performance by delivering a more effective vehicle service” commented Mr.Kishu Gomes, MD/CEO of Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC. “Belonging to a global industry, the automobile sector needs to be shaped and re-shaped on a continuous basis, benchmarking regional and international markets on service quality, technology and overall performance. One way of doing this is by acquiring insight and exposure on how such units operate” he added.

The scholarship was facilitated by the Ceylon German Technical Training Institute (Moratuwa), which is a direct affiliate of the Youth Affairs Ministry.

 

Chevron, as one of the leading companies engaged in socio-economic development in the country, takes pride in being responsible for creating over 5000 job opportunities for the local workforce through its unique channel branding strategy. An elaborate on-going recruitment programme is conducted by the Company which generates self-employment opportunities for rural communities.

“We do not get into anything that does not benefit our local economy either directly or indirectly. Developing a workforce with the right skills, exposure and knowledge will benefit the Automobile Engineering sector as a whole, but also set new standards in service quality, customer handling, and overall performance effectiveness” said Mr.Gomes.

 

The course participants underwent a theory and practical learning session incorporating the latest technological advancements and know-how, lectured by subject matter experts, with key note addresses made by eminent industry personalities. As an added feature, a special exposure tour to a Caltex OEM (Original Engine Manufacturer) partner was organized. DIMO was identified by Caltex for this purpose since it is one of the largest fleet operators in the country.  Aspects such as the use of technical equipment for vehicle diagnostics in the repair and servicing of vehicles were also covered in the tour.

 

As an active organization that works closely with projects that can energise the local economy and industry development, this programme is another measure of our commitment to promote sustainable learning and development in the country.

 

The ‘Caltex Automobile Engineering Scholarship Programme 2010’, amongst several other social responsibility projects carried out by Chevron, is driven largely by a commitment to socio-economic development, based on research that considers the medical, social, economic, and cultural dynamics shaping the future of Sri Lanka. A similar educational campaign launched by the company in October was ‘Water & Life’; a national project focused on promoting Sri Lanka’s natural water source preservation and its effects on sustainable growth.

 

According to the organisation, community partnerships and being socially responsible are fundamental to the broader success of the business as they assist in ways that help stimulate economic growth and enable communities to prosper.