FITIS and NAITA to jointly offer Higher Diploma in Digital Technology

FITIS Chairman Dr. Kithsiri Manchanayake handing over the signed MOU to NAITA Chairman/CEO Eng. Naseer Ahamed. Also present: FITIS Vice Chairman Abbass Kamrudeen, FITIS Education & Training Chapter Secretary Amila Bandara, NAITA Director (Training) G H Nilantha De Silva and FITIS Chief Executive Officer Aruna Alwis

The Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) and the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) has joined hands to offer a Higher Diploma in Digital Technology (HDDT) qualification for aspiring and exiting IT professionals to help them gain better job prospects across the multi-billion-dollar IT industry.

A brainchild of FITIS and NAITA, the HDDT qualification aims to bridge the shortage of competent and holistic IT professionals by offering an internationally recognisedqualification for the benefit of school leavers who wish to obtain arecognised certification which assures their readiness to play a proactive role across the industry and also lead it to success. The program will also help non-IT professionals obtain a recognised certification in IT which will help them to improve their day to day workresponsibilities in relation to IT functions. 

The HDDT program has been designed after extensive consultation with industry experts in an effort to bridge the existing gap between education providers and the industry. The program aims to train the next generation ICT workforce in a practical and methodical manner thereby guaranteeing high employability for students who follow the program. A noteworthy component of the qualification is that it not only imparts mandatory technical skills but also helps cultivate the soft skills of aspiring professionals to help them become fully-fledged IT professionals. 

FITIS Chairman Dr. Kithsiri Manchanayake said that the launch of the ICDT program is a landmark initiative in the history of the ICT industry in Sri Lanka, because this is an important qualification that will help the industry steadily bridge the necessary gap and progress towards achieving the US $ 5 billion industry target while creating 200,000 direct jobs. “FITIS is pleased to partner with NAITA in this important initiative. We are most certain that this program will become a stepping stone that will further strengthen the ICT industry across Sri Lanka, and we will continue to reinforce our position as an important exporter of software products and services to the world,” he said. 

HDDT program has been designed in line with Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) which ensures that all students who follow the program are enabled to pursue a degree upon the successful completion of the HDDT program which is benchmarked as a Higher Diploma as per the RQF standard.

With Sri Lanka acting as an offshore development centre for Fortune 500 companies in the US, Ireland, the UK, Australasia and Sweden, and joint ventures based in Sweden, Norway, the US and Japan among others, the qualification is a timely initiative and aims to further strengthen the country’s competitive advantage in the IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Sri Lanka’s present employees in the ICT sector stands at 85,000. In order to go for a target of 200,000 by 2022, the ICT industry needs to attract minimum 14,000 professionals to the ICT Industry per year. All universities including state and private only generates 6,000 graduates annually. 

FITIS is the apex body of the ICT sector in the country while NAITA is a leading vocational training provider that offers employable skills.