John Keells Holdings PLC, Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerate, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Moratuwa on the 23rd of August, as the Platinum Sponsor of the University’s annual career fair ‘Are you ready?’ 2019. Staying true to its core values, the Group collaborated with the University with the aim of enriching the country’s youth with employability skills that are essential to be successfully employed within the corporate world. Representing JKH, the MoU was signed by the Head of Group Human Resources, Sustainability, Enterprise Risk Management and Group Initiatives, Mr. Isuru Gunasekara, while the President of the Rotaract Club of the University of Moratuwa Rtr. Dhanuka Perera penned the MoU on behalf of the University. The event was also attended by Head of the Career Guidance Unit of the University of Moratuwa, Dr. Sathish Namasivayam.

‘Are you Ready?’ 2019 comprised a series of events benefitting over 2,000 students during the month of October. The Resume Centre powered by JKH was held on the 10th of October and saw the participation of 450+ undergraduates of the University of Moratuwa, while the Webinar conducted by Mr. Yolan Seimon, Head of Octave- the John Keells Group Data and Advanced Analytics Center of Excellence, was held on the same day benefiting over 990 students. The series of events leading up to the flagship day held on the 25th of October saw the participation of Mr. Nayana Mawilmada- Sector Head John Keells Properties, Mr. Hishan Singhawansa- Sector Head Cinnamon Resorts and Mr. Wishanth Wijesinha- Head of John Keells X. Students were also provided with the opportunity of engaging with HR professionals attached to various Business Units of JKH throughout the Flagship Day.

"Are You Ready?", is organized by the Rotaract Club of the University of Moratuwa in collaboration with the Career Guidance Unit marking the official career week of the university. Introduced in 1998, this year marks the 24th “Are You Ready?”, confirming its powerful presence as the main platform which connects the university undergraduates with the corporate world. As part of the event, students of the final year batch of the university are provided with the opportunity to meet prospective employers for mock-up interviews and acquire a clear view on the opportunities that refine their skills to match the job market that they will enter in the imminent future.

John Keells Group believes in demonstrating our commitment to all our stakeholders including the communities and environment in which our businesses operate and believes that education is the foundation stone of an enlightened and civilized society. The Group further recognises that the future of Sri Lanka depends on the quality of the country’s human capital and hence our education related initiatives are aimed at enhancing life and career skills towards making Sri Lankans more productive and employable.

JKH, a Sri Lankan company, operates over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors and currently holds the highest market capitalization in the CSE. John Keells provides employment to over 13,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for 14 years. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Member of the UN Global Compact, John Keells drives its vision of “empowering the nation for tomorrow,” through the John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’ is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.