Stax invests in next generation of business leaders with launch of academy

Tuesday, 12 July 2022 02:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The 1st Batch of Stax Academy students during a virtual session with Stax HR

Stax, the global management consultancy with a strong presence in Sri Lanka announced the launch of ‘Stax Academy’, the firm’s learning platform for up-skilling future business leaders to take-on the challenges of the global economy.

Given Sri Lanka’s present economic climate, students and professionals are facing challenges to secure placements in foreign universities and bridge the gap between their skills and their career aspirations. Concerns related to prohibitive costs and foreign payments are limiting the opportunities available to young professionals and students, with foreign universities deferring local students till Sri Lanka reaches economic stability.

‘Stax Academy’ places its focus on recent graduates from local and foreign educational institutions as well as foreign university hopefuls awaiting entrance to their courses. The program is launched with the vision of designing an on-demand, contemporary learning platform dedicated to upskilling and preparing them for their dream jobs.

The specialised certification program will commence in July in partnership with Royal Institute of Colombo, Edith Cowan University – Sri Lanka Campus, and National School of Business Management (NSBM). The initial batch of 30+ students will consist of latest graduates from the partner institutions undertaking the 16-week certification program.

“The current economic challenges faced by Sri Lanka are causing the youth to lose hope. Many of them are leaving the country to seek opportunities overseas. The resulting brain-drain will have a significant and enduring negative impact on the local economy for many decades to come. As corporates, we have a responsibility to prevent and mitigate this risk by creating opportunities for the youth. This is our aspiration, as we set up the Stax Academy.

“We hope this initiative will offer Sri Lankan youth, similar opportunities to what they are pursuing overseas. The young professionals we engage through this Academy will be skilled and career-ready to take on the challenges of the future and stay relevant against the global workforce,” Stax Managing Director Dr. Kumudu Gunasekera said.

The Certification program will offer a combination of micro-learnings across specific functional and professional skill pillars needed to succeed both within Stax and the domain of Management Consulting as well as in general industries. Much of the focus of the program will be on the most relevant skills needed by the world. It will be delivered as practical learning experiences which expose candidates to different types of work streams and projects to discover their strengths and aspirations.

The program is centred on the principles of Ikigai with the objective of enabling candidates to explore work streams which are value-focused, fulfilling, and purposeful.

The launch of “Stax Academy” follows the strategic investment received by Stax from Blue Point Capital Partners in November, which has enabled the rapid growth in headcount and acceleration of geographic expansion for the data-driven management consultancy. The growth is accompanied by the availability of broader learning opportunities for talent and enhancement of its core offerings around data analytics, commercial due diligence, and specialty consulting services.