Colombo, Mar 14 (IANS): The Sri Lankan government said it plans to create 1 million new job opportunities for young people through a new initiative as the country looks to return to normalcy from the Covid-19 pandemic, local media reported here Monday.

The initiative, "Hope for Sri Lanka", will be launched in May and a series of exhibitions covering all nine provinces in the country will be held where job seekers, entrepreneurs, foreign employment agents, those involved in skills development, vocational training will be brought under one roof, Xinhua news agency quoted Namal Rajapaksa, Minister of Sports and Youth, Development Co-ordination and Monitoring, as saying.

Rajapaksa said the aim of the program is to contribute to the country's economic development by providing a sustainable solution to the job shortage and introducing young people to other income-earning opportunities.

In addition to jobs in both the government and private sector, young people will be directed to go abroad as skilled workers or start new businesses as entrepreneurs, the minister added.

Sri Lanka's health officials last week said the Covid-19 pandemic was easing in the country as a majority of local citizens have been vaccinated and received their booster doses.