Project Build-U which was initiated by the Professional Development Avenue of the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya was successfully concluded on the 08th of April 2023.
Project Build-U emerged as an idea to sustainably have an impact on the professional arena of those entering the labor force after completing studies. After thoroughly looking into the skill gap in the workforce, the Build-U team realized that soft skills and English fluency were vital area that was often overlooked when grooming individuals for their professional careers. However, in order to flourish in one’s employment it was mandatory to have these skill sets to climb up the corporate ladder. Therefore, Project Build-U made its main focus to develop the soft skills and English Language proficiency of the school students and undergraduates in the country.
After carrying out a successful awareness of the project through sharing PR Materials, three sessions were scheduled as the initial phase of the project which was in collaboration with the Gavel Club of University of Kelaniya. The first session which was held at the Vihara Maha Devi Park, was conducted by the Immediate Past President of the Gavel Club of University of Kelaniya, Sakuni Thilakarathne. The session focused on socializing and breaking the ice and it was attended by members from our own Gavel Club and Rotaract Club, and other Rotaract Clubs in the country.
The next two sessions were both conducted virtually through Zoom and the sessions focused on talking with ease at the workplace and basic English language formalities.
Next up, in order to assess the success of the sessions and to also provide a platform to the public speakers of the country, Project Build-U launched the Speak Up Competition which was open to all the school students and undergraduates of the country under the categories of; Story Telling, News Reading and Speech Contest.
The Speak Up Competition was well received by the community as numerous submissions came in from school students, undergraduates, interactors and Rotararctors. An independent judge panel was appointed to select the finalists of the competition. Ahead of the results, Project Build-U decided to conduct a workshop for all the participants of the competition in order to prepare them for the final competition and public speaking in general. The workshop was conducted at the University of Kelaniya and was open to all and it was attended by interested individuals and the participants of the competition.
Finally, Project Build-U entered its final phase where the Final Competition of Speak Up Competition and the Awards Ceremony was held. Fifteen performances took place on the final day and the three winners walked home with their winning titles and thus, Project Build-U closed its curtains.
