Creating a Psychological Paradigm Shift in Students' Choice in Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka through Education Vertical Integration

Tertiary education is a turning point in anybody's life. Students' choice of tertiary education is crucial for them, their family members, and the country. All parents would like to see their children reach the heights in education and develop many career prospects. In Sri Lanka, critical job profiles are limited to medical doctors, engineers, accountants, and lawyers. However, the fact remains that this type of lean job market is not realistic or sustainable. Firstly, a country needs not have many professionals from a handful of fields. Secondly, not all students have the capacity to complete the coursework of their respective programs. On the other hand, many vacancies in different fields must be filled consistently, and a country cannot be sustained otherwise. Making a shift in students' psychological paradigm is essential in this scenario. This paper introduces a new concept called vertical education integration (E.V.I.). E.V.I. provides a strategic solution to bridge various gaps in the current education system. This concept has been tested and proved for successful results in Sri Lanka.