Certificates were awarded to 330 National and Higher National Diploma holders in Agricultural Production Technology
The national ceremony to award certificates to students who completed the National and Higher National Diploma courses in Agricultural Production Technology was successfully held in Polgolla, Kandy, under the patronage of K.D. Lal Kantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation.
On this occasion, diploma certificates were awarded to 330 students who successfully completed diploma courses at the 11 agricultural colleges located across the island that come under the Department of Agriculture.
This award ceremony, a significant milestone in the national programme to strengthen vocational and tertiary education in the local agricultural sector, is organized by the Extension and Training Centre of the Department of Agriculture. Approximately 500 students successfully complete these diploma courses each year.
Under this programme, the NVQ Level 6 diploma course is conducted at the Agricultural Colleges of Angunakolapelessa, Kundasale, Karapincha, Pelwehera and Vavuniya, while the NVQ Level 5 course is conducted at the Agricultural Colleges of Bibile, Labuduwa, Paranthan, Palamunu, Variyapola and Anuradhapura.
The Department of Agriculture points out that these diploma holders have wide opportunities in both local and overseas job markets. Accordingly, in the public sector there are posts such as Agricultural Technology Assistant and Agricultural Instructor in the Department of Agriculture, and various posts in research and regulatory institutions such as the Department of Export Agriculture, Coconut Research Institute, Tea Research Institute and Rubber Research Institute. There is also high demand for them in local private companies as well as in foreign organizations.
Speaking as the chief guest at the ceremony, Minister K.D. Lal Kantha stressed that the primary aim of education should be to understand the world and to change it for the better.
“We get an education to understand the world. Without understanding the world, we cannot make it better. You must understand agriculture better than the older generations did and change it for the better so that it is productive for the country as well as for you.”
“As V.I. Lenin stated, ‘practice without theory is blind, and theory without practice is barren.’ But you, who have studied at our agricultural colleges, are complete in both theory and practice.”
“Decide correctly where in life you should go and how you should go about it. Do not stay stuck in the old thinking that a job in a government institution is a must. Give priority to taking on challenges. Contribute to meeting the paddy and maize production targets as well as to raising the country’s protein supply. Make your lives successful by applying in practice the theory you have learned.”
A large gathering attended the certificate award ceremony, including Dr. Thushara Wickramarachchi, Director General of the Department of Agriculture, the principals of the agricultural colleges, members of the academic staff, and students.
