Career guidance professionals in Sri Lanka have long been members of the ICCDPP community, including participating as a country team in the ICCDPP International Symposia on career guidance and public policy. Hence, it is of great pleasure to see how such participation has contributed to enriching national public policy debate  on career guidance in Sri Lanka across the education and employment sectors.

The 2024-2029 strategy has been developed by the National Career Guidance Steering Committee under the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission, Sri Lanka, supported by the Strategic Plan Development Committee, and in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including educational institutions, industry partners, and other government departments and agencies.

The purpose of the plan is to provide a comprehensive framework for career guidance services in Sri Lanka, ensuring accessibility, quality, and relevance. The plan outlines the strategies and actions needed to develop a cohesive and effective career guidance system that meets the diverse needs of students, job seekers, and professionals. It emphasises the importance of integrating career guidance into the education system, leveraging technology, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to create a supportive environment for career development.

The documents describes:

-vision, mission and values

-a situational analysis

-strategic initiatives

-implementation plan

-resources and funding

-monitoring and evaluation

-communications plan.

The situation analysis outlines some of the challenges in the next stage of policy and strategy implementation.

ICCDPP commends the committees and stakeholders in Sri Lanka who have contributed to the development of this comprehensive strategy and wishes them the very best in the next steps.