Sunday Oct 19, 2025
Sunday Oct 19, 2025
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From left: CCM UK Head Office Digital Marketing Manager Rhiannon Wilson, CCM Colombo Office Associate Director Janith Sachintha, Associate Director Zuhaim Razack, and CCM UK Head Office Executive Secretary Elise de Carteret
By Safna Malik
In a move to address the country’s IT skill gap, the College of Contract Management (CCM) has launched a new social responsibility initiative to offer free British-qualified IT Foundation Diplomas to Sri Lankan students, aiming to improve employment opportunities. The official press briefing for the program, held at the Kingsbury Hotel recently.
CCM Colombo Office Associate Director Janith Sachintha said the CCM is a UK-based professional institution that offers online Diploma and Postgraduate programs. He explained that these qualifications, which range from Level 3 to Level 7, are recognised within the UK’s Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) as being equivalent to A-Levels/BTEC and Master’s degrees. The programs are available to students across the world, including in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
Sachintha shared that the CCM, which was founded in 2011 and headquartered in Surrey, UK has enrolled more than 25,000 students since its inception. The institution now operates back offices in countries including Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka, with its Colombo office active since 2013.
Speaking about the courses offered by the college, Sachintha noted that their programs are very niche and specialised. The college offers programs in Engineering, Construction, Management, English, Business, and IT.
He explained that these tailored professional diplomas are designed to help students, who want to enter the workforce with a British qualification, and working professionals, who already have bachelor’s or master’s degrees, to develop their skills to the highest level.
He detailed how the CCM’s online courses have been a critical solution for many students since the COVID-19 pandemic. Sachintha affirmed that the quality of these programs is not compromised, as many students find the interactions to be similar to face-to-face learning.
Additionally, he emphasised that the nature of their online (distance learning) model has been life-changing for working professionals because it does not have to interrupt a student’s working life. Individuals can take courses from home in their free time, studying on weekends and evenings while continuing to attend their full-time jobs.
Sachintha remarked that the current Sri Lankan Government has a clear intent to grow the economy through the digital sector. He added that while academic institutions play a major role, building a strong talent pool is essential. He explained that many graduates take time to become industry-ready and often struggle to find employment, as they lack real-world experience despite their qualifications.
He said the initiative goes beyond helping individual students, it contributes to Sri Lanka’s broader economic transformation. By building a workforce equipped for the digital economy, the program supports national competitiveness and long-term growth.
Adding to the discussion, CCM UK Head Office Digital Marketing Manager Rhiannon Wilson noted that CCM is fully aware of the Sri Lankan government’s initiatives to develop the digital sector. She stated that the college is keen to support these efforts and willing to welcome partnerships with other institutions and companies who would like to offer similar programs.
Wilson stated that the college’s decision to offer a free foundational diploma was driven by the growing demand for IT skills. She explained that the program is a strategic initiative to bridge the gap between existing skills and those required to meet the current market’s needs.
Wilson detailed that the new IT Foundation Diploma will be offered as a free six-month, full-time course. She explained that the program will run five days a week and the college is planning its first intake of the free IT Foundation Course with a target of 200 students for the first batch. She added that the program is set to officially launch in November this year.
Speaking about the program’s instructors, Wilson said they are industry-leading experts ready to share the challenges and innovations they have faced in their careers. She explained that these experts will act as mentors, offering guidance to help learners build the confidence needed for success. The course is designed to reflect the modern IT industry’s changes and challenges, focusing on practical skills over theory through industry-relevant case studies and lab facilities where students can test their own abilities.
Giving an overview of the course structure, Wilson said that for the first month, sessions will be conducted in native languages, giving students the choice between Sinhala and Tamil, before transitioning to English. She affirmed that the college appoints highly qualified lecturers from local industries as well as from other countries.
She emphasised that their aim is not just to give a certificate, but to deliver students who are skilled at a foundational level of IT and whose competencies align with market needs. Wilson added that once learners complete the course, they will be at a crossroads, equipped to either enter the workforce with valuable competencies or choose to further their studies.
CCM UK Head Office Executive Secretary Elise de Carteret, in her comments on the new initiative, said the college’s decision to launch the free diploma in Sri Lanka was driven by their positive experience with the country’s workforce. Having worked closely with the nation and operating a back office in Colombo, she said CCM has found Sri Lankan professionals to be smart, hardworking, and highly dedicated. This has encouraged the institution to hire more tech professionals from the country.
De Carteret said that despite conducting weekly interviews for their back office in Sri Lanka over several years, the college noted a persistent shortage of suitable candidates. This, she explained, is because the practical skills of many job seekers do not align with the needs of the local job market.
She added that they found it particularly challenging to source IT and digital marketing professionals in Colombo for their own operations. This, she said, highlights a disconnect between academic courses and industry expectations, a problem that leaves many job seekers unemployed despite thousands of jobs being advertised daily on platforms like LinkedIn and TopJobs.
She shared key statistics on Sri Lanka’s education sector, revealing a significant gap in higher education. She noted that in 2024, out of 333,000 students who applied for university admission, only 150,000 passed the Advanced Level exam. However, only 41,000 were able to secure a university placement. This leaves approximately 50,000 qualified students without access to higher education, often due to financial constraints.
De Carteret said that despite meeting with over 50 job seekers in Colombo each week, the skills they possess do not align with modern IT demands. She stated that the college wants to bridge this skills gap with this course. As a result, the college’s top management has decided to offer this free opportunity to Sri Lankan students to build real-world skills through the Foundation Diploma in IT program.
She said the CCM’s initiative is designed to help students secure careers in IT and prevent them from having to seek low-skilled jobs abroad. She noted that this effort will help create a significant talent pool, attracting more employers and investors to Sri Lanka’s IT sector.
The college’s hands-on approach ensures that, after successfully completing the program, students will leave with valuable practical competencies and the confidence to succeed. They will also receive a certificate and gain access to broader career prospects with skills that employers actively seek.
De Carteret explained that the college is committing substantial funding to operate these free programs in Sri Lanka. She added that this program includes full-time lecturers, tutors, and lab facilities, is a social responsibility initiative, not a commercial expansion. It removes financial barriers for talented students and proves how international education providers can contribute to economic growth through skills transfer.
Speaking on the selection process for the free program, she said the college will be prioritising school leavers for the free IT Foundation Course. While the program is open to those aged 18 and above and welcomes interest from individuals with existing degrees, the college will be focusing on those who have not had the opportunity for further education.
She said the selection will be based on a placement assessment that will evaluate a candidate’s current skill set and aspirations. The first batch is expected to accommodate 200 students.
De Carteret emphasised that its programme is fundamentally different from traditional academic courses that focus on theory. The goal is to provide learners with practical skills and confidence, thereby filling the skills gap in the market.
She said the course will be taught by industry-leading experts to ensure students are equipped with skills they can immediately use in the workforce.
CCM Colombo Office Association Director and Principal Ruhaim Roomy commented that setting up and running a back office in Sri Lanka has been far smoother compared to other developing countries, based on their own experience.
This presents Sri Lanka as a viable gateway for larger corporations ultimately boosting foreign currency inflow, increasing demand in real estate, and encouraging investment in relevant sectors.
While their courses are relatively expensive compared to the local market especially with UK-based lecturers and operating costs, the College is committed to delivering this Foundation Diploma in IT at no cost to Sri Lankan students.
Roomy said that with the new CCM Centre set to launch in November, students will have the flexibility to choose their preferred learning method. He noted that the new facility will provide the option of both face-to-face and live online classes.
In his closing remarks, Roomy said that as an institution and as a country, they should move forward together to build a strong, skilled, and competitive workforce for the future.
He invites interested Sri Lankan students to register for the free Foundation Diploma in IT at www.uniccm.com. The college has ensured the process is simple and inclusive, with registration also available through links on their official social media channels, to prevent financial or administrative constraints from excluding any qualified student.
