ICT Working Session on ‘Empowering Sri Lankan Youth’ includes persons with disabilities in their agenda
ICT Working Session on ‘Empowering Sri Lankan Youth’ was Co –hosted by The National Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka in collaboration with World University Service of Canada (WUSC). The objectives of the Working Session was to:
to bring together ICT related apex bodies, TVET providers and potential Job Providers who have an interest in seeing rural youth gainfully employed in the ICT sector.
To connect TVET providers to potential ICT Job Providers and meet the entry level manpower requirements of the ICT industry.
To identify the high demand job openings in the ICT sector and equip TVET providers to deliver market driven courses that meet the exact skills required by the ICT Industry.
The target Audience was, IT, BPO & SMART / telecommunication providers who have an interest to employ youth coming from marginalized life backgrounds. The Working Session was held at Taj Samudra Hotel in March 2016.
Presentations by a cross section of vocational training partners, Experience sharing from a leading ICT company in outsourcing business activities to rural centres and Working Session on identifying suggestions / recommendations to meet the ICT Industry’s Entry Level manpower requirements were discussed broadly.
Welcome Address was by Mr. Thilak Godamanna – Chairman – The National Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Esther McIntosh – Country Director – WUSC-SL gave the Opening Speech. Introduction to ASSET was delivered by Mr. Deepthi Lamahewa – Deputy Programs Director-WUSC-SL. Presentations by the following cross section of vocational training partners made the programme interesting and informative.
Vocational Training Authority – Mrs. Chulangani Perera – Director General, Sarvodaya Fusion – Mr. Isura Silva– General Manager, Employers’ Federation of Ceylon – Ms. Manique Gunaratne made a presentation on ICT training and employment for persons with diverse disabilities, KASP Learning – Mr. Roshan de- Lima- CEO, Infogate Sri Lanka – Mr. IsharaMadushanka– Manager, Experience sharing in outsourcing business activities to rural centres – MrJehanPerinpanayagam – CEO, infoMate (Pvt) Ltd.
Panel Discussion was on Youth Employment: How can rural youth be equipped with necessary skills to prosper in the ICT sector? Panelists included Mr.PriyangaGunasekera – Chairman ICT Sector – The National Chamber; Prof. GihanWikramanayake – Director University of Colombo School of Computing; Mr. LasithaDevendra – Dean Faculty of IT, Aquinas University College; Mr. Jude Cedric – Chief Technology Officer – Zelcom International.
Working Session was Facilitated by M/s Denzil Fernando &Sanath Manage – WUSC on:
- Suggestions / Recommendations on how rural youth from districts like Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Jaffna,
Vavuniya, Mannar&Puttlam could be equipped for employment in the ICT Industry’s Entry Level Requirement.
- The possibility of participating companies to offer entry level employment in the IT, BPO and SMART / telecommunication for rural youth.
- The ways in which ICT companies could provide support for VT providers to deliver market driven trainings.
Picture descriptions:
1 Appreciation by WUSC to Manique
2 Audience.
3 Manique making the presentation.
4 Manique making the presentation.
5 Manique with WUSC staff.
Manique Gunaratne
Member – Asia Pacific Women with Disability United
