Since 2011, the Government of Sri Lanka has been looking to shift its migrant worker population from a mainly low skilled work force to more of a skilled work force to  ensure better conditions of employment and higher wages overseas, and recognition and employability upon return to Sri Lanka.

In 2012, with the coordination and technical inputs of the TVEC, the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system was introduced to the labour migration program by the SLBFE. The TVEC assessed course material, instructors and training facilities and made recommendations for standardizing the SLBFE’s mandatory pre-departure orientation programmes for low skilled workers to the level of NVQ3. As a result, the pre-departure orientation trainer and trainee guides, developed in the framework of an ILO-SDC technical cooperation project, were standardized to the NVQ3 level. An advisory committee consisting of officials of TVEC, SLBFE and instructors, and civil society representatives provided inputs for their development.

The pre-departure guides are now being used by all pre-departure orientation centres and are contributing to ensure standardized instructions to all prospective migrant workers in an effort to minimise their vulnerabilities and empower them to attain higher levels of the NVQ standardization system upon their return.