Challenges to the Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka

Challenges to the Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka Apparel Industry of Sri Lanka â€Å"Garments Without Guilt† 1.0 Objectives of the Assignment Study and analyze a Sri Lankan export oriented apparel industry in order to Identify the nature and the challenges faced by the apparel industry. Identify the domestic and international policies in relation to the apparel industry Make recommendations based on the future trends for the sustenance of the industry. 2.0 The Apparel Industry of Sri Lanka at a Glance Figure 1: Fashion Garments from Srilanka Source: Next Annual Report, 2010The textile and the garment industry of Sri Lanka, established in the 1950s as an import substitution industry initially catered to the domestic consumption. With the introduction of the open economy and liberalization policies in year 1977 paved the way for the textile and the garment industry to enter the world market. The supportive measures adopted by the government by granting concessions, duty rebates, free import of raw material and machinery, lowe r taxes and tax holidays as well as the establishment of Free Trade Zones in the areas of Katunayake, Biyagama and Koggala contributed to the expansion of export apparel industry of Sri Lanka. C:UsersuserDesktopnext-clothing.jpg Being one of the leading exporting industries in Sri Lanka, the industry itself at present contributes to US $3.2 billion to the net foreign earnings in 2009. The GDP contribution from the industry in year 2009 is 10%. At the present context 350 – 400 factories are existent, providing direct employment opportunities to 330,000 which amount to 5% of the total workforce of the county. 3.0 Challenges Faced by the Apparel Industry of Sri Lanka Besides the withdrawal of the quota system & trade policies, inflexible labour markets, high competition from the other foreign countries, the apparel industry of Sri Lanka should survive and sustain its position in the world market. We have identified the below mentioned to be challenges faced by the apparel indust ry. 3.1 Over Dependence on Few Export Markets The apparel industry of Sri Lanka is only focusing on few export markets which consists of countries such as USA (64%) and European Union (30%). The other export markets accounts for 4% of the total apparel exports to Canada, Australia, China, Japan, Switzerland and Israel. Though, over 94% of supply is to USA and EU, Sri Lanka’s garment exports account only for 2.3% and 0.9% of USA and EU apparel import volumes respectively. With the prevailing global economic recession, faced by the main two above countries, the demand for apparel export has severely declined in the recent past, and a drastic reduction in the volumes consumed has been noted. 3.2 Insufficient Product Diversification Unavailability of diversified range of products in the apparel sector is identified as another major issue at present. The garments exports accounts for more than 90% of the total exports of the industry and has been identified to be a similar figure for the past two decades. Source: Brandix Annual Report, 2009 Figure 2: Production Section Sri Lanka yet focuses on four major types of items in the product coverage, which can be identified as shirts, blouses, trousers and jackets. Though 50 new items were introduced to the product coverage in year 2000, still the industry is highly concentrated on a few product categories. The quota restrictions imposed by major importers now limit the export of these popular items further.C:UsersuserDesktopimages.jpg

Personal Development, Self-Management and Reflection Essay - 1

Personal Development, Self-Management and Reflection - Essay Example physical, attitudinal, and structural barriers) as well as the components of a more successful process of learning (e.g. time management, acquiring relevant information). Thus, realizations regarding one’s personal and professional aspects are highlighted. Introduction Personal and professional development is an important concept that significantly involves the growth and advancements of an individual. This suggests that every person has an untapped potential and should be able to get more out of life through learning and growing. Setting measurable goals, overcoming negativity and failures, learning from experiences, and becoming better individuals along the way greatly contribute to their growth and development. People have relied on their unique personal characteristics, particularly their strong points and competencies, to gain advancements in both their personal and professional lives. Thus, building development plans for both an individual’s personal and professio nal aspect can assist in identifying and reinforcing strengths, as well as improving on weaknesses. Task 1 Personal development pertains to a whole host of activities that help improve self-awareness and self-mastery (Aubrey, 2010). On the other hand, professional development refers to the process through which skills and knowledge are attained towards both personal development and advancement in one’s career (National Professional Development Center on Inclusion, 2008). After taking the Applied Personal and Professional Development Evaluation, I realized that knowledge and meeting deadlines are not the only things to be considered in pursuing successful higher education learning. Quality of work is also important, and one means to measure this is through other people’s feedback. In having the best quality work, we should consider other factors such as social and personal relationship with other people, self-confidence, right motivation, willingness to learn, practical and critical thinking and of course, patience and perseverance. Personally, I am good at getting along with other people. I respect their points of views and I try not to offend them by choosing the right words to say. I am very much willing to learn, both old and new things. I also practice practical and critical thinking in my everyday life. I think first before I act most of the time. My practice of patience and perseverance are relative, depending how I assess a given situation and what I judge as appropriate. What I really need to work on, however, is self-confidence and public speaking and having the right motivation for the right job. Gaining self-confidence and being able to speak publicly needs a lot of work. It is related to one’s personality and beliefs. My environment and how I am raised also contribute to my self-confidence. If people sense strong self-confidence and self-efficacy from me, then there is a huge probability that I will be successful and effective at the job-related tasks entrusted to me. Public speaking is a common source of stress for everyone. I have reflected on the principles taught by Orman (1996) and find them handy. First, I have to believe in myself, especially since speaking in public is essentially stressful for many. If others can do it, so can I. Next, I realized that I do not have to be exceptionally brilliant to deliver a presentation. Rather, I

Adding, and organize Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Adding, and organize - Assignment Example The involvement of United States in the gulf war was to condemn the actions of Iraq. From the article, the main reason to why Iraq conceded the gulf war was because of air and missile combat. The author of the article â€Å"The Impact of the Gulf War† expounds on how the war led to a long list of slaughters on the Basra road. The gulf war was regarded as a great victory to the United States military. This war was considered inevitable. The strategies that were put forward by Saddam Hussein to fight the imperialists were a mere fantasy of a dictatorial leader that did not work. In connection to this, Hill in his article asserts that the main reason for the Gulf War was to bar Hussein from becoming the dominant power in that region as well as from controlling OPEC. From the gulf war, it was noted that despite the military success that was recorded in the war, the experience of the Gulf war changed the viewing point of the military towards the society and the status of the military in the society. The morale of the military will be a lasting influence of the gulf war. It has been noted that no conclusions can be made on the abilities of the soviet equipment from the gulf war. Despite the fact, the Iraqis were using the equipment from the soviet and were trained by the soviet they were not using the soviet tactics and strategies. According to Nordhaus, the author of â€Å"The Economic Consequences of a War with Iraq† the war also led to the disarming of Iraq of its deadly weapons as well as removing leadership that was posing challenge to the U.S. the Saddam Hussein regime had been as disastrous for the economy of Iraq and other aspects of the Iraqi society. The economy of Iraq was tumbled to a disastrous state. Initially, most of the Iraqi economy was dependent much on the production of oil. Iraqi oil production peaked during those periods when the country was not constrained

The Effects of Reading Skills on Elementary School Students With Research Proposal

The Effects of Reading Skills on Elementary School Students With Program Development - Research Proposal Example This essay stresses that disorders in reading skills are a common problem for students, specifically because of the curricula that are expected to continue to be used by teachers. The persistence of the problem is linked to psychological, behavioral, emotional and developmental associations, making it difficult for students to increase their skills. The teacher responses are also often limited because of expectations with meeting specific standards, pressures associated with the classroom format and links to the expectations with the curricula that are used. The examination of disorders that are specific to reading skills is one which holds specific attributes. This paper makes a conclusion that Tte problem which is associated with reading skills and disorders is based on the gap from teachers and administrators with meeting the need of children. Currently, policies and standards have been put into place that is based on the needs and development of those interested in creating reading skills. This is combined with the need to have more resources and tools for teachers while finding ways to fill the gaps with students who are suffering from reading disorders. The lack of information available, difficulties with those who are working with the policies and the associations that are created from the development which is expected is the main way in which the problem arises with those who are suffering from disabilities with reading. ... This is furthered with the diverse needs which are associated with learning disabilities. This particular study will look at the gaps as well as opportunities that are associated with specific reading disabilities among students. With this study, teachers will be able to develop more opportunities for students to have capacities to learn to read, even with learning disorders. Definition of Terms Reading Disorder: Difficulty in reading based on neurological alterations in the mind. Dyslexia: Decoding of words which is not created in order. Developmental impairments: Psychological factors which link directly to the reading abilities of students, such as ADD or ADHD. Literature Review The examination of disorders that are specific to reading skills is one which holds specific attributes. General learning disorders are now divided according to ways in which individuals react and the associations which are created toward the disorders. When looking at the standards and expectations, it is noted that there are common reading disorders that many children are now focused on. This relates to cognitive and psychological dysfunctions that hinder the learning process. The problem with the disorders furthers with the teacher and administrative standards and expectations as well as the inability to continue to change the curriculum because of these standards. This is furthered with the classification differences for the learning disorders and the expected intervention programs which often don’t have the correct link to solving the disorders. Developing the needed alterations with the learning disorders and understanding how this is continuing to develop creates a firm basis to finding improved solutions to help

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Music - Essay Example is first work 9 Variations in C Minor† was published in 1782, when his age was 12.At the age of 14 he was the organist in the court of â€Å"Maximillian Franz, Elector of Cologne.† His meeting with Mozart took place in â€Å"Vienna in 1787.† Mozart highly appreciated the musical talents of Beethoven. In Vienna, he took music lessons from masters like Haydan, Salieri and Albrechtsberger. His talents won him admiration in the music circles of Vienna. â€Å"He composed Opus 1, the Trios for Piano,† in the year 1794. In 1795, he gave â€Å"his first public performance† in an academy known as Vienna and then began his tour to Prague, Leipzig, Dresden, berlin and Budapest. Notwithstanding his music talents, as a person, he was known for â€Å"his impulsive behavior.† â€Å"In 1800 in a new concert at Vienna† he presented â€Å"his first symphony.† With his innovations he was crossing the established norms â€Å"of music.† In 1801, he began to realize that he was turning deaf. This health issue turned him cynical and his life was useless and purposeless with this deficiency, he thought. But his passion for music was too strong and he kept pushing to the front. He engaged himself in what is known as Beethoven music, Sonatas for Piano, the second and the third symphonies, The Eroica and in due course many such creations. He wrote his 3rd symphony in honor of Bonaparte. On April, 7, 1805, the Erocia symphony was played for the first time. His creativity began to flourish. Pastora, Coriolan Overtue and Letter for Elise are some of his immortal creations. He fell in love with several of his students. Beethoven was given an annual grant of 4,000 florins, by his rich admirers and with that assistance it was possible for him to function as an independent composer. He was free to compose what he wanted, a true freelancer, under the command of nobody. When Archduke Rudolph became Cardinal, Beethoven began to composing his mass in D. The ninth symphony was completed in 1823. Soon,

Industrial Placement Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Industrial Placement Report - Case Study Example It comprises of work orders, scheduling, service requirements, data collection, parts and inventory management, and forecasting of parts and inventory needs. When a piece of manufacturing equipment needs regular servicing, that task automatically appears on a list of work to be done, and a plant technician will perform the work, making a note in the system that it was done, by whom, and when. Engineering department is also recording all variations in production and quality and organizes the remedial actions. I work in the packaging department ( the Department.) In this report 1) I shall give my view, both, on the Department side and on the production (i.e. manufacturing) side of the Company. I will discuss three important elements of a successful operation of any pharmaceutical firm: Quality Assurance (QA), Safety procedures (SP) and, above all, Information Technology. As Information Technology (IT) and automation is involved in virtually every production and quality assurance (QA) process, I shall mention the IT role in individual processes as I will keep describing them further on in this report. The Company produces only tablets and capsules. A high degree of automation exists in the production side of the Company. ... These finished chemicals are combined and processed further in mixing machines. The mixed ingredients may then be mechanically capsulated, pressed into tablets. Our part of the ( packaging) Department works only with tablets, but the Company produces capsules as well. The workers in the Company fall into one of two occupational groups: Production workers who operate drug-producing equipment, inspect products, and install, maintain, and repair production equipment; and transportation and material moving workers who package and transport the drugs. This is the role of our Department. Generally, I can characterize the technology in our Department as being medium-automated. Since the Company has three tablet-producing, fully automated, lines, we are packaging three different types of tablets.For that, our part of the Department has three packaging lines, each consisting of one blister packing machine, one cartoner and an overwrapper. These three units are all connected into a series. The inputs into this three-machine series are: tablets, cartons and leaflets and at the end, as output, comes packaged product, already in cartons with proper labels attached. Then we further pack the cartons into outerboxes. 3. Good Manufacturing and Production Practices There are several major items that we see important in our work space: Generally, working conditions in pharmaceutical plants are better than those in most other manufacturing plants. In the Company, there is a stress on keeping equipment and work areas clean because of the danger of contamination. We work in air-conditioned, well lighted, and quiet place. Health and safety regulations ( to be discussed later in

Beach Sediments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Beach Sediments - Essay Example Some beaches are built to great widths by sediments washed to the sea by episodic floods, gradually eroding until the next major flood replenishes the sand ("Beach Formation and Types of Beaches and Sand"). Beach sediments are delivered per year in million cubic yards through longshore transport. Different beaches have different colors and textures because of the various sediments that make them up. There are beaches made up of eroded shale cliffs, multicolored agates ground and polished by the surf, feldspar minerals, ground quartz, and even iron minerals. The various make up of the sediments determine the origin of these sand beaches which help researchers know more information about a particular coast. Mechanical sediments, also known as clastic sediments, came from the erosion of oceanic rocks formed during the earlier times. These sediments are carried by streams or waves to the place where they are deposited. Ocean sediments, especially in the form of turbidites, are usually carried over and deposited at the bottom of continental slopes ("The Columbia Encyclopedia" 42907). Chemical reactions in seawater form chemical sediments which results in the precipitation of small mineral crystals that settle to the floor of the sea and finally form a chemically pure layer of sediment somehow. Organic sediments are formed from plant or animal actions. ... There are also some traces of windblown volcanic and continental dusts found in organic sediments. Properties of Sediments Sediments have different properties which are being studied by researchers for different purposes such as coastal engineering. One property of sediments is its physical form. Sediments can be loose, fluid, hard or firm. Examples of loose sediments are sand and silt; mud is a form of fluid sediment. There are also sand forms that are firm and stiff as clay. Hard sediments are those rocks and coral pieces that can be found in some beaches. Sediments can also be classified in terms of their cohesiveness. Sediments can be cohesive, non-cohesive or mitigated. Sediments such as clay and firm sand are highly cohesive as each particle stick closely together. Mud and loose sands, as well as rocks and other loose particles, are non-cohesive. Mitigated sediments are mainly non-cohesive sediments with a little mix of clay. Non-cohesive sediment behavior in water is mainly controlled by mechanical forces. The hydrodynamics of a particle refer to its ability to remain still or become entrained if on the bed surface, or to remain in suspension or to cease movement if in motion ("Sedimentation Investigations of Rivers and Reservoirs" 7-1). The properties that crucially affect the non-cohesive particle's hydrodynamics are its size, shape and specific gravity. The behavior of cohesive sediments, on the other hand, is controlled by electrochemical forces and dependent on the particle size, sediment mineralogy, and water chemistry. Particle size is considered to be the most important property of non-cohesive sediments. The size of the particle can be defined by any of the four methods: a) Nominal diameter - with this