2. 1 Promoting Competency-Based Education Key directions for the future

3. 2 Goal Strategies to foster competencies and skills needed in the labour market

4. 3 Lessons learned  Wide variations by university, by region, by faculty, by department  Strengths in high levels of subject knowledge  Weaknesses in many departments, in undergraduate skills and competencies needed in the labour market, especially in Humanities  Strengths in a few priority disciplines

5. 4 Current curriculum needs  Priority study programmes using outcomes-based curriculum  Industry as partner in curriculum change  Academic staff development in curriculum development and implementation

6. 5 Students’ unmet needs  Capability, confidence and security  Work experience  Career guidance

7. 6 Competencies desired by employers  Open and positive mindset  Lead a team  Interpersonal skills  Initiative, creativity  Communicate effectively, including in English  Computer literacy  Discipline-based knowledge  Willingness to learn from a wide cross- section of people  Dress sense, personal grooming, business etiquette  Civic awareness and responsibility  Critical thinking and problem solving

8. 7 Directions for the future: Curriculum options  Study programmes fostering competency attainment within mainstream courses  E.g. in Humanities; Management; Agriculture  Study programmes across subject areas  existing examples: engineering with sociology; agriculture with science; medicine with anthropology; science with management  Study programmes to teach English, Computing and generic competencies

9. 8 Change management  Change in Sri Lankan Higher Education ? Difficult ? Possible ?  Available: a critical mass of committed change agents

10. 9 Recommendations  Policy on outcomes-based curricula  Monitoring : Quality Assurance subject reviews  Incentives for professional development  Incentives to staff through promotion criteria  Review of assessment practices

11. 10 Short-term project implementation  Course materials developed  Learning support materials developed  Library and ICT resources available  Computer labs strengthened  Review of assessment practices

12. 11 Medium-term project implementation  English language teaching units upgraded and strengthened  Teaching of English introduced for all staff and students to allow greater use of English as medium of instruction and in administration  Language translation centres for Sinhala and Tamil strengthened

13. 12 Funding for sustainable action  Staff development units (SDUs) strengthened u One Unit upgraded to provide national coordination and support  Discipline/Subject networks enhanced  Curriculum Development Units strengthened

14. 13 Implementation example  National staff development activities: u Annual conferences u Publications on learning and teaching u Website u Discussion lists u Incentive Awards for quality teaching u Coordination of staff development short courses

15. 14 Student support funding  Counselling and career guidance  Social harmony guidance  Work/community experience across disciplines  Learning support, mentoring  Skills development projects

16. 15 Transition to world of work  Career Guidance Units u One Unit upgraded to provide national coordination and support  Tracer studies  Business Interaction Cells/Centres

17. 16 Education Quality Relevance Responsiveness Equity Conclusion Vision Policies Consensus Incentives Pressure Educated Competent Learning Citizenry & Workforce Economic & Social Development   