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• AIESEC Sri Lanka, National News, Programs

Introducing our new program Heading for the Future

Did you know that according to International Labor Organization, youth represents 25% of the total employed population around the world? However, when it comes to the job market, 1 in 5 young people who are not in employment or training experience face barriers of finding passionate job opportunities. For many youth, it isn’t easy to find the perfect job that fits both their capabilities and passion.

AIESEC is a youth organization that constantly innovates leadership development experiences and engage with AIESEC initiatives while equipping youth with experience and skills to make them future-proof. Heading For The Future (H4TF) is our newest program offering youth the opportunity to prepare themselves for the future of work.

H4TF is a simulated virtual working experience for young people who seek to discover their career path and build their local and international network. For four weeks, participants will be able to work with a partner company in a field of their choice while upskilling themselves and broadening their network. For Companies, H4TF is an opportunity to seek, train and hire potential youth while improving employer branding and brand visibility through platforms.

Our simulated virtual work experiences so far

Lead Program by AIESEC Sri Lanka was a Virtual Professional skills & Leadership development program conducted to improve the industry readiness of students who had completed their academics and were expecting to enter the industry.

Similar to Heading for the Future, the program was a simulated virtual work experience for youth seeking to test their fields of choice and boost their career prospects. Over 60 participants from universities all over Sri Lanka were able to gain work experience through a 6-week-long internship opportunity in a field of their choice with one of the 20+ partner companies onboarded.

Here are their stories:

“On May 28th, 2021, I applied for the LEAD program initiated by AIESEC in Sri Lanka. First, I applied out of curiosity, but later I learned through the Coordinators from AIESEC in University of Sri Jayewardenepura that it’s more than just an opportunity. This virtual internship allowed me to interact with an amazing team of undergraduates who also seek to improve their skills and professionalism during this pandemic situation. I really enjoyed the flexibility of the internship and the understanding from my supervisor. It made me feel like I could learn more about this industry in this short period.

During my internship, I was assigned to a team of KL.LK with one of my fellow interns to work on a renowned brand. Our task was to conduct market research from their selected group of competitors and also conduct virtual interviews from selected criteria. These tasks were challenging and also exciting. Also, it allowed me to improve my communication skills and interpersonal skills. My greatest challenges were time management and communication. Working remotely is definitely different, but it will become the new normal. Therefore this allowed me to have an understanding of how working from home looks like for many professionals. This was a great opportunity to gain work experience and gain connections anywhere from the comfort of your own home. This allowed me to develop a number of transferable skills in the business area I was previously not interested in. The LEAD internship program has motivated me to be more creative, and it enabled me to see this industry from a new angle.

• Event, National News, Partnerships

Unilever Career Program

Marking an exceptional milestone in AIESEC Sri Lanka history, AIESEC Sri Lanka in collaboration with Unilever Sri Lanka, conducted an island-wide Career Program, which consisted of the Unispire workshop series and three days Virtual Career Fair in the name of Unilever CareerFest ’21, tapping into the youth in all 25 districts to find and refine the brave individuals who were fervent in discovering their future career. AIESEC Sri Lanka has triumphed in making undauntable personalities to the Sri Lankan youth for over 25 years and Unilever Career Program 21 is our latest movement to equip undergraduates with personal and professional skills while giving them career guidance. The aim of the program was not only to create the visionary of a successful employee by the end of 2030 but strive to make their dreams come true.

Unilever Career Program was the biggest ever virtual career program in AIESEC Sri Lanka history which featured the UFairs virtual career platform designed by C-Suite HR and Sia. This event was tailored towards the youth, specially who were undergraduates and jobseekers all over Sri Lanka. The event was held in two phases virtually.

Phase 01: Unispire Workshop Series

Phase one of the Unilever Career Program consisted of three very successful workshops with a very interactive participation. Unispire workshop series was held in three stages over a period of eight days from 11th October onwards.

Day 1 of the workshop series was on the topic of The Perfect Career path and this session focused on helping students find out the best career path for them. It was delivered by Ms. Aaqila Hanifa, Talent advisor and learning specialist, Human Resources, Unilever Sri Lanka
Day 2 was based on communication skills with a touch of corporate etiquette and this session focused on effective communication and how to face an interview. It was delivered by Ms.Anjali Jayathunge, HR Strategy Lead, Human Resources, Unilever Sri Lanka and Ms. Demethri Berman, the CD Promotion Planning Execution and Monitoring Manager, Customer Development, Unilever Sri Lanka
Day 3 of the workshop series was on the topic of Problem Solving and critical thinking. This session focused on the importance of having these two skills as soft skills. It was delivered by Mr. Dinushika Opatha, the Manufacturing Excellence Manager- Ceytea, Supply Chain, Unilever Sri Lanka

Unispire workshop series mainly aimed to bring light to all the conundrums that undergraduates have been having all these times.

Phase 02: Unilever CareerFest, The Virtual Career Fair

Based on the feedback of the delegates we received after the workshop series, we opened the Unilever career fair week in the name of Unilever CareerFest ’21, for all undergraduates interested. The Phase two of Unilever Career Program officially commenced in a grand manner from 21st to 23rd October 2021 and All the sessions were delivered to the participants in collaboration with Unilever, free of charge until the closing ceremony of the Program on 23rd October. Mock interviews, Coaching Sessions and CV consultations were scheduled at different stalls. Meanwhile there were different education and career based lessons conducted by Unilever at the main auditorium.

‘Purpose’ lesson by Ms. Keshavi Puswewala, Senior HR Business Partner, Corporate Function amd T&O, Employer Brand Lead, Unilever Sri Lanka

Drafting the Perfect CV by Ms. Sabeeha Murad, Assistant manager, employer brand and talent & organisation, Unilever Sri Lanka
Future Fit session by Ms. Demethri Berman, the CD Promotion Planning Execution and Monitoring Manager, Customer Development, Unilever Sri Lana
Building better connections through Linkedln by Ms. Aaqila Hanifa, the Talent advisor and learning specialist , Human Resources , Unilever Sri Lanka
Time Management by Ms. Lacksita John , Member Committee Vice President , Business Development, AIESEC Sri Lanka

This 3 days program was a new experience for all the Undergraduates and job seekers as it facilitated space for all the participants,

To interact with employers of Unilever Sri Lanka
Experience virtual mock interviews
Interact with AIESEC global internship opportunities

The Experience

Mr. Banuka Hathurusinghe, the Country President at AIESEC Sri Lanka mentioned,

“This was a great opportunity for young people to engage and interact in a professional environment to groom up in their career development. I am sure this was a completely new experience for all the participants mainly because of the newest technologies that we were bringing through the virtual career fair experience.”

We express our gratitude to the youth who joined with us believing themselves towards creating a youth movement to impact and create a ripple effect in Sri-Lanka, so in the world. We strongly believe that the Unilever Career Program would help and develop all individuals in the way they see their career and job, its future, challenges and problems for a better tomorrow for all the humans in the world.

• AIESEC Sri Lanka, Event, Leadership, Membership, National News

NLDS 2021: National Leadership Development Seminar of AIESEC Sri Lanka

NLDS: National Leadership Development Seminar is one of the major conferences in the calendar of AIESEC Sri Lanka. This year’s NLDS was held on the 15th,16th and 17th of October 2021 via the Zoom Platform pertaining to the current external environment of the country.

The NLDS delegation consisted of the Executive Boards and the skilled membership of the 5 Local Committees and 3 Official Expansions of AIESEC Sri Lanka. With sessions focusing on AIESEC 2025 culture- Own the present, Shape the future and Lead the change, the membership was given the opportunity to experience the culture of AIESEC through this 3 days virtual conference. Membership engagement was delivered through fun teams, events such as family hunt & theme party and virtual sugar cubes enhancing the culture of the organization. Along with the support of 2 conference partners, 8 Associate partners and 10+ gift partners, a sustainable and a successful conference was held utilizing the platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram for the purpose of ensuring the registration of 500+ delegates and active participation of 100+ delegates throughout the conference. The necessary knowledge with respect to the functions of AIESEC and also general AIESEC sessions were facilitated concerning the membership distribution among different roles.

A sneak peek into the AIESEC Sri Lanka Roadmap, HRIS (Human Resource Information System) Launch, and an exceptional session on powerful stories representing different regions were some of the key highlights of NLDS which enhanced the flow of the conference with some great value addition. So in general this can be recognized as a successful strive towards making the membership of AIESEC Sri Lanka properly aligned with both the educational aspects and cultural elements of AIESEC with the ultimate objective of developing more youth leaders for the future world.

Watch the event recaps on the AIESEC Sri Lanka Youtube Channel.

• AIESEC Sri Lanka, Event, Leadership, National News

Excon 2021

For the first time in the history of AIESEC Sri Lanka, Covering 10 universities within 20 hours; With 1 Vision to #CHOOSETHEREALYOU, The first-ever, Initiative group conference, The National Expansion Conference 2021 was held on the 19th and 20th June 2021 via the Zoom platform owing to the current external environment.

Creating the path to discover one’s self and to make brave decisions, ExCon ‘21 kick-started the journey towards creating the next set of divergents by bringing together 150+ youth to one platform, creating a space to embrace the AIESEC Culture while discovering their purpose, empowering one another and most importantly enjoying participation with much fun, breaks full of jives and smiles.

With the gangsters, love gurus and gossips keeping our delegates on the edge of their seats, the conference space was shared with a diverse array of facilitators including the Founder President of AIESEC Sri Lanka, Mrs. Dinoshi Keiper, who took us down memory lane via a personalized story to the delegates.

The other facilitators included:

Mr. Isuru Premathilaka, Regional Director for Asia Pacific Term 20.21
Nino, Country President – AIESEC in Georgia
Shuhei, Country President – AIESEC in Japan
Hlawn – Country President – AIESEC in Myanmar
Mr. Sandaru Suranjaya, Product Manager – Arimac Lanka
Ms. Keshavi Puswewala, HR Business Partner – Corporate Functions & R&D and Employer Brand Lead of Unilever Sri Lanka

who joined hands with ExCon’21 to give our members the opportunity to understand the leadership journey that awaits them and the impact they can create.

The delegates were given the space to expand their network and make lifelong connections throughout the conference with not just amongst the delegation but through diverse sessions where they were encouraged and empowered to share their opinions and thoughts with the facilitators.

Adding more glamour to this historical moment, the event was preceded by ExCon Eve 2021, an evening of motivation and music that brought together rising stars from the music industry along with impactful personalities that created the right blend between awareness and entertainment.

Amplifying the glamour of ExCon’21 while showcasing the outstanding talents of our very own AIESECers, ASL Got Talent – Season 2, a night of remarkable performances and fun, votes and tough decisions was nothing short of a top-notch extravaganza.

A month of hard work, preparation and dedication of the conference team who worked hand in hand to deliver the best conference experience comprised of the Organizing Committee, National Expansion Board and the Member Committee of term 20.21 of AIESEC Sri Lanka who guided our change agents to harness their strength and bravery. The 02 days of motivation, glamor, impact along with a vision to strive for excellence came to an end with ExCon’21 making the impossible possible.

Watch the after movie here.

• National News, National Partners' Week

National Partners’ Week Spotlight: Coca-Cola

Did you know that when Coca-Cola first launched it was marketed as a nerve tonic that “relieves exhaustion”? I’m sure it still does the trick.

Diving into a bit of history, Coca-Cola has been a partner in the Sabco Group since 2004 while their origins go back to 1955 when it was formed under the name Pure Beverages Co Ltd., through the acquisition of the Ceylon Fruit Drinks & Table Water Company. Its journey with Coca-Cola started in 1961 when a franchise agreement was signed with the Coca-Cola Export Corporation. Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd (CCBSL) produces and sells over 12-million unit cases of beverages per annum. It operates through a countrywide distributor network consisting of about 127 distributors.

Having a purposeful partnership of over 03 years, Coca-Cola has been of immeasurable support towards ensuring that our events and leadership spaces run smoothly. A few touchpoints that Coca-Cola has had with AIESEC Sri Lanka and its Local Committees/Official Expansions are;

Coca-Cola has also been a key player in the YouthSpeak Forums organized by AIESEC in Sri Lanka and the local chapters throughout the past few years. It has always ensured the smooth flow of events as well as joins hands with AIESEC in order to take a step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

An Ideathon project was initiated as the very first Idea Hackathon organized by AIESEC Sri Lanka to connect young individuals all around Sri Lanka to create a platform for youth inventors to unleash their creativity and innovations to find solutions to recycle plastic food packaging waste while ensuring the actions taken for Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Coca-Cola has also been a partner that has joined hands to appreciate the members who have strived for excellence during their respective terms by being a part of recognizing them during National Conference Award Ceremonies.

Another important point to note is that Coca-Cola employee Mr. Lakshan Madurasinghe, Director for Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability is also a member of the Board of Advisors of AIESEC Sri Lanka thereby helping to ensure that we are acting as a sustainable organization whilst also endorsing the impact we create to other organizations.

Coca-Cola thrives on the purpose of Refreshing the World and Making a Difference. AIESEC too believes in the ability to make a difference in the world. With such close aligned purposes and qualities guiding us, our bond will only grow stronger to provide more impactful experiences in the future to our members.

Here’s to more resilient leadership opportunities that power evolution and supports growth worldwide! Here’s to the growth of this purposeful partnership!

Do you want to know more about the partnership and what entails? Head on over to our campaign page to see what some of the best people at Coca-Cola has to say -> AIESEC Sri Lanka

AIESEC Sri Lanka