The Construction Industry has been continuing to play a key role in Sri Lanka’s economic and social development also providing employment opportunities to the youths. Even during periods of slow economic growth, construction output has been significant, compering other sectors. and it is estimated that the sector has accounted higher rate of the GDPF Joint government-private sector consultations are being carried out to charter the growth plans for the future. The Construction Sector grew 5.5% in 2003. The growth in 2003 came from both public investment and private sector small and medium scale activities.

                The National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) is the formal National level organization that represents the construction contracting community. NCASL is represented in the Board of Directors of the Institute for Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA), the
Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and in the Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka (CCISL), (a broad-based organization of all major players in the country’s construction sector).

                The Association has over 3000 membership who operate throughout the country and are clustered in 09 Provincial Branch Organizations excluding Major & Specialist Constructors Branch and a separate Branch in Batticaloa and Jaffna. NCASL’s one of the major responsibility is to provide,
Human Resource Development especially in skills development.

                With the celebration of the NCASL’s Silver Jubilee we have reached a milestone. NCASL commenced the establishment of an Advanced Construction Training Academy (ACTA) to address the construction contracting community’s collective capacity building so as to respond to the entrepreneurial and technology management skills, development needs of the contractor – owners and their employees. Furthermore to produce the high technical man power to enhance productivity and quality of the construction work, NCASL and ACTA has elevated their training capacity through establishing University Collage of Construction Technology (UCCT) in collaboration with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development recently. UCCT is provide path way to develop professionals to the Construction Industry.

Advanced Construction Training Academy (ACTA)             

In the year 2005, the Hon. Minister of Finance & Planning of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, in his Budget speech proposed to set up the Advanced Construction Training Academy (ACTA) in collaboration with the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) to strengthen the industry specific competency requirements, particularly of the middle level categories and also the managerial level categories of the construction industry sector.

Funding and Support Services.

Consequently, the Government of Sri Lanka being the public sector partner funded Rs.100 million, while the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) , the private sector partner contributed Rs. 98.5 million financial support and backed with Industry know how to set up
ACTA.

In addition the French Government through their donor agency Agency Francaise de Development (AFD) donated Rs. 150.0 million for initial setting up activities of ACTA. Also AFD has provided the technical support to established training and development of the organization to ensure establish quality learning environment.

ACTA has thus emerged as a Public – Private Partnership (PPP) organization with a specific mandate to serve the construction industry sector.