XpressJobs and eLearning.lk have announced a new partnership to help Sri Lankan job seekers, particularly school leavers and graduates, to gain the skills needed to take the first steps of their career or even experienced employees transition into a new role in their career. To that end, the two organisations have launched an online learning platform called school.xpress.jobs.
Accessible to all with a profile on XpressJobs, the platform contains several courses created by eLearning.lk to help job seekers obtain the skills sought after by employers. But this is only the beginning as the partnership will offer free mentorship and other guidance to help Sri Lankans build fulfilling careers. Speaking to Arteculate, the COO of XpressJobs, Dr. Oshadie Korale and CEO of eLearning.lk, Sanjaya Elvitigala both sat down to share their joint vision.
How it all began on ClubHouse
A universal challenge everyone faces is finding an enjoyable career path. The first hurdle is being aware of the specific skill set and years of experience recruiters are seeking. Since its founding in 2015, XpressJobs has been helping job seekers overcome this hurdle and recruiters find the talent they require. Meanwhile, eLearning.lk has been a leader in online learning, assisting both students, undergraduates, and employees to gain the skills they need to build fulfilling careers.
After a chance meeting in Clubhouse, Oshadie and Sanjaya partnered to create an innovative solution for Sri Lanka’s job market. The two organizations have launched an online learning platform accessible to all with a profile on XpressJobs. The platform contains several courses created by eLearning.lk covering a variety of topics ranging from marketing to HR to programming to law and even professional certifications by IELTS.
The overarching vision of the partnership is a simple yet ambitious one. Working together, XpressJobs and eLearning.lk aim to ensure that after an employer posts an open position and the skills required for it, anyone interested in applying for it will have a clear pathway to gain those skills. While a grand vision, both companies are positioned to make a reality.
What the partnership between XpressJobs and eLearning.lk has to offer
The partnership mainly benefits two types of job seekers; School leavers and graduates who are undecided about their careers while lacking experience, and experienced professionals seeking to transition to a new role to unlock the next chapter of their careers.
Due to its popularity, XpressJobs is keenly aware of what recruiters and hiring managers seek from applicants. Hence, eLearning.lk is then able to offer career targeted curriculums in their courses, which would be conducted by the best instructors available in the relevant industry. All of these courses would be made available on the school.xpress.jobs platform in the comfort of their homes without having to attend physical lectures.
Introducing the school.xpress.jobs platform
If someone is applying for a job in the hospitality sector and needs to brush up on their English communication, they can do so with the courses on the platform. Likewise, the platform has content that’ll allow them to also upskill themselves. So if a graphic designer wants to learn video editing skills, the platform has courses to help them gain such technical skills too. After completing their course of choice, job seekers can add these newfound skills to their CVs and also obtain badges, which will appear on their XpressJobs profile.
Meanwhile, from an employer’s perspective, they can also recommend specific courses to applicants. Elaborating on this example, Oshadie shared, “Let’s say a tech company posts an opening for an entry-level software engineer. After doing a basic shortlisting they find a few strong candidates but they lack some key skills. Instead of rejecting them, the employer can now recommend specific courses on the platform. In doing so, the applicants can gain these skills and secure the job.”
This powerful combination of XpressJobs and eLearning.lk means job seekers are ready to work as soon they’re hired without the need for lengthy training periods. Importantly, the platform helps candidates confidently showcase their skills to their potential employers. For example, if a company is looking for a candidate skilled in digital marketing, then the badges on their profile indicate the courses they’ve completed to prove their proficiency.
At the moment there are two types of certification available on school.xpress.jobs. The first is to show participation, which is primarily offered to those that complete courses that are free. Others are professional certifications that can be obtained via paid courses on the platform. eLearning.lk will be continuously working with industry experts to convert their knowledge into a curriculum to help job seekers gain new skills sought after by the market.
Other efforts to help job seekers build their dream careers
The learning platform is only the first initiative of many undertaken by the partnership between XpressJobs and eLearning.lk. Moving forward, the two organisations are planning to offer free mentoring and organise workshops covering several topics on helping job seekers land their dream jobs, such as preparing a CV, facing interviews, career guidance, and helping them resolve gaps in their skillsets.
Moving forward, XpressJobs will allow recruiters to filter and select candidates that have completed courses that offer candidates the skills sought after. Additionally, there are plans to utilise blockchain technology to offer digital badges, which will be offered to job seekers after they complete a course, which they can display on their profiles.
Ultimately, the collective efforts brought on by the partnership between XpressJobs and eLearning.lk will go a long way towards addressing the skills gap between employers and candidates. In doing so, it’ll help recruiters quickly identify the talent they desire, school leavers/undergraduates secure their dream jobs, and experienced employees unlock a new chapter in their careers. What began with a conversation on ClubHouse is now a strong partnership that’s poised to help Sri Lankans gain the tools they need to build fulfilling careers.