In late January 2026, the MICROIDEA consortium carried out a study visit to Sri Lanka. The mission marked an important step in the project’s internationalisation strategy and in strengthening cooperation on skills recognition and certification.
During the visit, meetings were held with the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Labour, the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union (FTZ & GSEU), as well as private recruitment agencies.
Discussions highlighted a clear issue. Although Sri Lanka has a structured national qualifications system, the international recognition of skills remains limited, especially for workers targeting labour markets beyond existing bilateral agreements. MICROIDEA proposes a complementary approach by linking micro-credentials to the international ISO/IEC 17024 certification standard.
During the visit, the conditions for a potential pilot cooperation with TVEC in the tourism and hospitality sector were explored. Discussions focused on the possible alignment of national training programmes with the MICROIDEA micro-credential methodology and the ISO/IEC 17024 certification framework. The exchange confirmed institutional interest in further exploring cooperation and adapting the model to an international labour mobility context.
The consortium also presented the project’s digital tools for labour market data analysis and skills matching. These tools support evidence-based training design and strengthen the link between education and employment.
The visit to Sri Lanka confirms the potential of MICROIDEA to act as a bridge between national training systems and international labour markets.
