FITIS launches Youth Club

FITIS Chairman Chinthaka Wijewickrama opening the ceremony

The Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) launched the FITIS Youth Club at a ceremony held at the auditorium of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka in Colombo recently. Ministry of Education Assistant Director Udara Dikkumbura was the chief guest at the event, where the FITIS Youth Club Facebook page on social media was also officially launched.

The mission of the FITIS Youth Club is to create a forum where Sri Lankan youth can develop their academic and professional knowledge and skills in ICT, whereby their exposure to the industry will be enhanced, while equipping them to take on future challenges. It also seeks to create a vibrant community where innovation, creativity, personal growth opportunity is encouraged and supported.

Expressing her views on the occasion, Dikkumbura described the launch of the FITIS Youth Club as an ideal opportunity for young school children to build a close rapport and affinity with leading entrepreneurs, eminent professionals and well-known educationists in the ICT sphere to develop their horizon of knowledge and sharpen their talents and skills through close interaction.

FITIS Chairman Chinthaka Wijewickrama stressed that as a professional ICT body, FITIS has unveiled a series of flagship events in this vital sphere and the most salient amongst these initiatives are the INFOTEL ICT Exhibition and the Young Computer Scientist (YCS) Awards. “We look forward to organising continuous ICT workshops, professional seminars and initiatives to develop and sharpen leadership skills,” he said. FITIS is now working towards establishing an Employment Bank within the shortest timeframe with the core objective of affording the necessary facilities to boys and girls aspiring to venture into the ICT industry, Wijewickrama noted. 

The FITIS Youth Club was set up with the goal of equipping Sri Lankan boys and girls with the fundamental educational and professional know-how and develop their talents and aptitudes in line with current trends so that they will be prepared to face the future challenges of the ICT industry, he emphasised.

Addressing the launch, FITIS Training Chapter President Viraj Pinto and Youth Club Chairman Vajira Karunarathne highlighted the important role played by the FITIS Youth Club and urged youth to join the initiative for recognition and self-advancement.

FITIS Youth Club members will enjoy a host of fringe benefits – they will be able to obtain membership of FITIS at a relatively young age and also enjoy full recognition and acceptance by FITIS as a valuable member of the Youth Club. Amongst the other benefits are that the youngsters could gather valuable experience through active involvement in FITIS projects, hold important positions in the FITIS Youth Club and get an opportunity to be involved in local and international IT conferences and events. 

The members will also be afforded an opportunity to meet and work with IT professionals and IT institutes in Sri Lanka, to register with the FITIS job portal and gain access to attractive employment opportunities in the IT industry, enjoy special discounts at workshops and seminars organised by FITIS and avail themselves of special offers from FITIS member companies for education, IT and software products etc.

The Sri Lanka ICT Industry Association, The Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) constitutes the Sri Lanka Computer Vendors Association (SLCVA) – the Hardware Chapter, Sri Lanka Association for the Software Industry (SLASI) – the Software Chapter, Association of Computer Training Organisations (ACTOS) – the Training Chapter, Lanka Internet Service Providers Association (LISPA)/(TPA) – the Telecommunications Chapter and Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA) – the Professional Chapter.

FITIS has been in operation for the past 20 years as the unified umbrella organisation of the ICT industry in Sri Lanka. FITIS has been actively engaged in setting the strategic direction and developing the ICT industry in Sri Lanka with many programs which have been successfully implemented. There are 200 organisations representing the respective Chapters which are members of FITIS.