Commencing the National IT and BPM Week, the central event is slated for October 11, 12, and 13, 2023, at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Hall in Colombo, the President’s Media Division (PMD) says.
This initiative has been set in motion by expediting President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s program aimed at propelling the nation into the digital economy.
The primary objective is to foster awareness of emerging technologies, facilitate skill development, offer career counselling and promote IT entrepreneurship.
The program’s target audience includes school students, both from public and private universities, vocational education institute students, job seekers and entrepreneurs within the Western Province.
Over the course of three days, this program will provide a platform for industry insights and career guidance in IT and business processes. It will also open doors to internships and job opportunities, complemented by workshops on IT and business processes conducted by technical educational institutions.
A media briefing on this significant endeavour took place today (Sept. 22), at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC). Key figures involved in this initiative were Janaka Sampath Geekianage, Director (Development) of the Ministry of Technology; Madhu Ratnayake, Chairman of the National Future Talent Initiatives Institute (NFTI); Jehan Perinpanayagam, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Society for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM); and Prasad Samarawickrama, DIGIECON 2023-2030 Project Director.
Sri Lanka’s IT and Business Process Management industry continues to experience remarkable growth, offering employment opportunities to over 144,000 professionals, the PMD said adding that the sector, with its unique role in the Sri Lankan economy, makes a substantial contribution to the country’s GDP.
In the year 2022 alone, the sector generated approximately USD 1.7 billion. The government has ambitious plans to escalate this figure to 5 billion US dollars.
On a global scale, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like digitization, automation and artificial intelligence is witnessing a steep ascent. To align with these trends and achieve our desired objectives, prioritizing skill development is imperative.
Furthermore, there is a vision to expand the workforce in this sector to 200,000 individuals by creating fresh employment opportunities for the youth of our nation. This industry’s anticipated contribution of 15% to the country’s GDP will position Sri Lanka at the forefront of the economic landscape, fostering the growth of a more prosperous nation.
In adherence to the directives of President Wickremesinghe and under the leadership of Minister of State for Technology Kanaka Herath, the Ministry of Technology and the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with key stakeholders including the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, the SLASSCOM, the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL), the Information Technology Industry Federation (FITIS), the Sri Lanka Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and other technical education institutes, are jointly orchestrating this program.
