Top 4 Benefits of Higher Education

“Let us never be betrayed into saying we have finished our education; because that would mean we had stopped growing.” Julia H. Gulliver

It has become a pre- requisite for all students to get a university degree in today’s society. However, the question arises whether if it is actually an essential commodity, or is it merely the latest trend that is taking the world by storm.

The Sunday Times Education team had a chat with various young people and made a list of the top 4 benefits of Higher Education.

1. Career Preparation

On completing the school career, some young people decide on their goals and ambitions. In this context, it gives the skills, training and knowledge necessary to enter their desired profession.

“The education I received is critical for me to complete my work successfully. It would have been impossible to implement my responsibilities without the knowledge gathered from my degree” said Isura Lakmal, Accountant.

For those who haven’t decided as to what their future will hold, the academic environment offers one of the best places to explore your options and make that choice.

2. Stability for a Successful Future

For many youngsters, higher education is a passport to a successful and secure future. “I knew that If I complete a degree, that I will get a good job and thereby do well in life. This is something that I always believed in and worked towards. I am so happy that my expectations came true and today I am doing a job I love, thanks to my higher education!” Ganesha Ranasinghe, Administrative Officer exclaimed.

3. Personal Development

In order to be a successful person, it is important to be well versed in soft skills and also have achieved a holistic education.

Not all skills are clearly connected to a career or statistics, but they can be equally as important to a well- rounded, fulfilling life. Through Higher Education, many benefits can be achieved such as improved communication skills, critical thinking skills and even a greater sense of discipline.

“Through my degree, I gained the confidence to face any situation!” said Lakith Silva, Entrepreneur.

4. Pursuing a Passion

It is said that if you do what you love, you will never have to work a day in your life. Many people don’t know what they want to do, but they know what topics interest them. Higher education gives them the opportunity to delve deeper into an area, determining if the area can be a passion worth pursuing.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” - William Butler Yeats

Education is not only a tool for making money – it can be good for our hearts and souls as well, and helps us figure out how we want to do for the rest of our life.

Our main objective is to actively perform our task further as a national business school of creating knowledgeable and productive graduates for the society. At present, there is a large number of institutions, which conduct degree courses. However, the problem remains that whether these institutions create students with high standards of quality. Whether they are capable of making their productive contribution to the institutions and how far they are able to strengthen the national economy through that are problems that still remain. The main reason for this situation is the inability to inculcate social values and morals in the students. Therefore, we, as a national institute, have centered our education process to create knowledgeable and productive students. In addition, our institutearms the students with modern knowledge and provides the guidance required for local and foreign employment opportunities.In general, we are engaged in creating an individual enriched with knowledge, skills and positive attitudes.

Isn’t this task in a way a journey upstream?

Yes, but it is our responsibility as an institute engaged in providing proper guidance for the future generation and fulfilling the national requirements. At present, the whole world is heading along the river. Hence, almost every field is experiencing a decline as a whole. In this context, the common goal is suppressed by personal goals. At present, this situation has reached a highly problematic level due to closeness of information technology. Hence, it has become essential to create well-disciplined individuals with knowledge. We are engaged in educating students considering this as our main task.

Could you explain the operation of NIBM?

Our institution consists of several main divisions. One of the divisions is the Computer Division. Computer courses at different levels from Certificatelevel to Diploma level are organized by this division. Another division is the Management Division. This division provides training on Business Management for the school leavers and those who are already employed. The Language Division mainly engages in teaching English language. In addition, Chinese, Korean and Japanese language courses are being organized to be taught in future. All the programmes required for the enhancement of productivity of the institutions as well as individuals.

What are the measures taken by NIBM for creating a knowledgeable and well balanced individual?

Many years back, we have experienced that a successful individual cannot be created only with knowledge. Hence, we conduct special programmes for personality development and improvement of health of the students. In addition, we educate students on the lifestyle related to professional life and train them starting from getting prepared for interviews up to facing them successfully for continuous professional development. Further, we invite successful business personnel, people who have become successful in various fields as well as leaders to share their experience with the students through which the students are given a proper understanding on theoretical and practical professional scopes in order to provide them with practical knowledge and motivate them to move forward in their respective field of study.

What are the measures taken by NIBM for the improvement of the entrepreneurship of the students?

Modern entrepreneurship is essential for the development as a country. As an education institute, we pay more attention to create students of this nature. In general, most of the students who follow our courses tend to start their own business. The National Innovation Center, will be established in the month of October centering Narahenpitawith a view to extend this task further. The youths get the opportunity to follow courses such as Mass Communication, Film and Television studies, Interior Designing and Graphic Designing at this institution depending on their talents. It is also planned to conduct courses on Fashion Designing even with the collaboration of the Malaysian University “Limkokwing”. Conducting many courses that cater to the modern requirements of the society and improving the talents of the students on their preference is a special fea-

Actually we do not intend to create a student who is limited to the books and theories. We constantly create the free space even within our labs for them to come up with their creative ideas and carry out experimentsrelated to the same. Therefore, as an institute, we have gained the ability to create an individual who can fulfill the requirements of the society. The best example in this regard is that around 10,000 individuals pass out from our institute annually. The percentage of engaging in employment out of the total number of individuals is 95%. The main reason for this is the training provided to them. They create the employment opportunities through their talent, because they get the opportunity to be trained at the institutions in relation to each field within the period of study itself.

Specially, the field of music is closely linked to technology. There is the possibility of earning a lot of money in this field. Any individual who has the talent in this regard has the opportunity to follow our courses.

In future, we offer the chance for all the students who follow courses at our institute to gain experience at international level by providing them the opportunity to study at the Malaysian University “Limkokwing” for a period of 6 months before completing the degree for a minimum cost. Since this University is a place with multi cultures, the students get the opportunity to share their knowledge with the students who belong to various countries and nationalities and that will create an individual who can win the world.

Finally, what is the message you want to deliver to the Sri Lankan youth?

NIBM is an institute, which has assisted in laying a strong foundation for building the future of the Sri Lankan youth through effective involvement with regard to their higher education, business studies and computer studies for a period of 49 years. In my opinion, one of our achievements is that our ability to set an example to other government institutions as well by being an independent institute with the assurance of the government, which pays taxes to the government. It is my pleasure to mention that we have already been awarded by ISO certification and various business certificates and it has been planned to implement many programmes at all island level for the improvement of the other fields including the field of business in future. I extend my gratitude to all of you, who have been with NIBM being a great strength and I invite you to join NIBM and to experience the future of higher education.