The Youth Corps established under the Parliament Act No. 21 of 2002 commenced its operation through Youth Corps Regulation No. 01-2003 of the Gazette Notification No.1309/17, 10th October 2003. The Youth Corps (YC) was officially inaugurated as a public institute under the purview of the then Ministry of Policy Development and Implementation on 17th December 2002. YC launched its operations as a state organization on T. B. Jaya Mawatha, Colombo 10, under the leadership of (then Colonel) Major General Channa Goonetilleke, who later became the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.
In April 2003, Youth Corps established four training centres at Embilipitiya, Eraminiyaya, Rantambe and Heyanthuduwa. 1000 Youth Ranger Leaders were trained in these Training Centres. By November 2003 another 16 Centres were set up with the recruitment of the first batch of YC Rangers. Nearly 100 Youth Ranger Leaders out of the very first recruits are currently employed as Disciplinary Drill Instructors in the training centers islandwide.
Currently with 58 training centres island-wide, National Youth Corps (NYC) is under the purview of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. The present Director of NYC is Brig. Sujeewa Ratnayake.
The National Youth Corps’ training based on the concept of Discipline, Leadership and Personality Development is taught to the youth through its unique training modules varying from soft skills, academic, vocational, recreational to community-based. National Youth Corps (NYC) as the pioneer state Training Institute dedicated to Youth Development, since its inception in 2002 has been committed to the task of training, grooming and guiding the youth of Sri Lanka.
