The British Council Sri Lanka has launched Corporate English Solutions (CES), tailored to the Sri Lankan corporate and education ecosystem, aimed at helping organisations strengthen workplace communication and professional development.

The launch event took place recently at the NH Collection, Colombo 3, gathering corporate partners, clients and education stakeholders throughout the country.

CES extends the British Council's long-standing work in English language education and teacher training into a dedicated offering for the corporate sector. The launch introduced two new components to the British Council's presence in Sri Lanka such as public workshops and teacher training programmes, open to learners and educators beyond the organisation's existing corporate and academic partners. Guests at the event were shown a short video introducing Corporate English Solutions before the formal proceedings began.

Talal Meer, British Council Regional Business Development Director, South Asia, welcomed guests and introduced the British Council's team in Sri Lanka. In his remarks, Meer set out the scope of the CES launch, covering the introduction of public workshops in Sri Lanka, the rollout of teacher training programmes, and an overview of the CES product portfolio. Meer's role covers educational partnerships in the South Asia region, and his address framed the Sri Lanka launch within the British Council's broader regional strategy.

Addressing the audience, Talal Meer said, “Every organisation has invested in three things; skills, systems and strategy. But how many have invested in communication skill? Technical skills gets you hired but communication skills gets you promoted.”

Nimanthi Yatawara, British Council Account Manager English & Exams, introduced the new public workshops being rolled out in Sri Lanka, describing them as a way of extending access to British Council programmes to learners of different levels and backgrounds, beyond the organisations already working with the British Council on a corporate basis.

A highlight of the evening was a client testimonial from Nalin Perera, Deputy General Manager, Talent Development, Sri Lanka Telecom, who spoke about the impact of the British Council's programmes on his organisation and on the professional development of his team.

The evening's keynote address, ‘Communicating with Executive Presence,’ was delivered by British Council trainer Fazla Razak. Razak has over 15 years of experience in English language teaching and is well known within the British Council network, serving as an IELTS Examiner, Cambridge English Presenter, and certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator. The session focused on the practical dimensions of communicating with confidence and presence in professional settings.

The formal programme concluded with an invitation to guests to join a networking session over high tea, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with the evening's speakers, the British Council team and fellow guests, and to explore further opportunities for collaboration on learning and development. The event closed on that note, highlighting the principle which has defined the CES launch: where when people communicate with confidence, organisations perform with excellence.

With the launch of Corporate English Solutions, the British Council signals a deliberate expansion of its work in Sri Lanka extending programmes that have traditionally served students and academic institutions to a broader base of corporate partners and public learners across the country.

The British Council team answering questions on Corporate English Solutions from leading corporates about professional development skills courses

Photo Caption :  Talal Meer, British Council Regional Business Development Director, Asia Pacific [English and Exams] gives an overview of British Council Corporate English Solutions product portfolio