SLASSCOM, Open University launch new software engineering degree program ‘Teach IT for Sri Lanka’

From left: SLASSCOM Vice Chairman Ashique M. Ali, SLASSCOM Board Director Nishan Mendis and SLASSCOM General Council member Mangala Perera 

The guiding force for the development of Sri Lanka’s IT/BPM sector, SLASSCOM, has now joined forces with the Open University of Sri Lanka to facilitate a specialised tutoring engagement program with the intent of easing the increasing demand for IT professionals, by the name of Teach IT for Sri Lanka. 

SLASSCOM, its member companies and its partners, have recognised this growing need that the IT/BPM industry faces, in terms of finding talent prepared to face the challenges of a real-world working environment, and have been making concerted efforts through a number of avenues to overcome this challenge.

With 3,000 plus students enrolled, the degree program commenced in July, educating its participants on the subjects of computational thinking, working with data, software development and mobile application development.

Supplementing the practical value of the degree program, SLASSCOM invited existing professionals of the industry through its member organisations, to join in with the efforts of the Sri Lanka Open University. These professionals were invited to conduct knowledge and experience sharing activities for the students of the program, so that they could contribute to the upskilling of the nation’s youth.

With 118 professional applicants shortlisted by SLASSCOM and recommended to the Open University, their engagement began in October. Each chosen applicant is set to provide weekly lessons and lectures in order to train and develop the participating talent. The program is also supported by YouLead (a project by USAID) and tutor training provider Curve Up.

The holistic approach taken by SLASSCOM and the Sri Lanka Open University to this educational endeavour has been with the intention to share practical experiences, in order to create industry trained, future-ready talent. They are also working closely with a number of universities in an effort to close the observed talent supply gap, with talent of the necessary quality.

SLASSCOM Vice Chairman Ashique M. Ali spoke on the program, stating: “We are proud to be part of this initiative and to help uplift the youth of our country. We are very happy for the participation of both professionals and academia in this project. I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Ajith Madurapperuma, the university's Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr. Uditha Ratnayake the Director at the Centre for IT Education and Dr. Nalin Wickramanayake for their contributions and efforts in this monumental project.”

SLASSCOM Board Director Nishan Mendis, added: “Upskilling our tutors, trainers and educators is a crucial step in improving how future talent is groomed for a successful career. The training module that Curve Up has structured for us is comprehensive and this program is sure to be seen as a transformative experience to anyone that participates.”

SLASSCOM General Council member Mangala Perera, spoke on the weight of content added by top professionals, stating: “The program we have put together has been made complete, thanks to the contributions of a number of top professionals who have shared their insights from the corporate world. That being said, we would also like to thank Dhammika Marasinghe, Kalana Wijesekara, Manual Thantriwatte, Udara de Silva, Sheshan Gamage, Bani Chandrasena and Natalie de Niese, for volunteering their services for this pivotal initiative.”

SLASSCOM’s efforts to create a culture of knowledge sharing between the industry and academia could prove to be a revolutionary step in the development of the IT/BPM industry and Sri Lanka’s economy as a whole. The Teach IT for Sri Lanka program will extend beyond the Open University degree program and will be enacted with more educational programs, especially the ones conducted by the SLASSCOM Academy. This is a valuable opportunity for SLASSCOM and its member organisations to be a part of this corporate social responsibility initiative and become a proud contributor to building the IT industry and developing Sri Lanka.