Future Leaders Training-for Undergraduates

Based on the prevailing conflicts among undergraduates and number of youth related research findings, the Institute of Growth Concepts (IGC) decided to develop an innovative training package called Future Leaders targeting the University undergraduates in Sri Lanka. A team of training and development experts worked enthusiastically together to study the youth behaviours, analyse results and to design Future Leaders training solution. This training package can be implemented in any faculty or department of Sri Lankan Universities with the support of academic staff utilising the training facilities within the university. IGC has conducted “Future Leaders” mostly for the undergraduates in Art studies as they normally get exposed to fewer opportunities in management based trainings. Objectives of the training were:

1.      To strengthen youth by setting future goals, changing attitudes and enhancing personal productivity through skills such as, leadership, communication, time management, team building, conflict transformation and entrepreneurship.

2.      To encourage young graduates to become competent for private sector jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.

3.      To enhance personal productivity in academic and personal lives.

4.      To empower youth by enhancing conflict sensitivity and emotional intelligence.

Future Leaders is a not an academic exercise but a short term life skills development initiative (training series), that guides and motivate undergraduates to reap optimum results as a cohesive and proactive individual during the academic period as well as to become talented job hunter after University. The scope of the programme is to enhance positive attitudes, self-confidence, creativity and certain skill areas such as leadership; teambuilding; presentation/communication and entrepreneurship. The training series consist of five sessions including one outward training event. It on the other hand uses interactive training methodology rather than teaching approach. It is a high-bread training methodology that combines classroom based training sessions as well as out-door action learning sessions. First four sessions are focused on attitude change and skill areas mentioned above. The purpose of fifth session is to give opportunity for the trainees to present what they have learned and to take the leadership.