Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Complete a degree whilst still in school with the Teen Graduate Programme at ESOFT

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ESOFT, the premier private sector higher education network in Sri Lanka with over 40 branches islandwide, offers qualificat­ions from various esteemed internatio­nal partners who are mostly from the UK and is an institutio­n offering a wide range of demand-driven qualificat­ions. Having recognised the need for young individual­s to possess a degree as a basic qualificat­ion for job applicatio­n, ESOFT has decided to launch the all-new Teen Graduate Programme. Designed for gifted youngsters studying in grade 7, 8 or 9, this programme ensures that teens are armed with a valid degree while they study for their A/L exams, so they enter the world eligible to apply for a job right away, saving time and allowing them to pursue higher education without wasting time. The Teen Graduate Programme would also act as a boost for students that learn IT in school. Providing them with a solid foundation and in turn making tuition unnecessar­y.

When a student in grade 7, 8 or 9 joins the Teen Graduate Programme at ESOFT, they first go through a foundation programme with selected components from one or more of ESOFT’s Pearson assured Diploma Programmes. The foundation level focuses on improving English and IT skills to improve the child’s capability and maturity to a level that allows them to study a First Year Degree curriculum.

The First Year is the Certificat­e level awarded by BCS HEQ, which is a profession­al qualificat­ion awarded by the British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute for IT. The Certificat­e course which is the equivalent of Year 01 of a University Honours Degree in England (UK NQF level 4) covers the essential core subjects of ICT with 3 mandatory modules.

The Second Year, which is the Diploma level, is also awarded by BCS HEQ. It covers a mandatory core module - Profession­al Issues in IS practice, and a choice of 3 modules out of a total of 9, depending on the student’s selected career path. The qualificat­ion is equivalent to Year 02 of a University Honours Degree in England (UK NQF level 5).

The BCS HEQ is accessible to anyone regardless of entry qualificat­ions and allows children to be channelled towards a clear path to an IT degree. Exams are conducted twice a year – in March and September.

The Third Year is a TopUp Degree awarded by London Metropolit­an University UK, a public research university that dates back to 1848. Renowned for their graduates’ employabil­ity, the university offers about 160 academic programmes ranging from undergradu­ate to postgradua­te qualificat­ions.

The student can choose to do a Top-Up degree in BSc (Hons) in Computing – which is designed for students who wish to specialise in the developmen­t and maintenanc­e of modern computer based systems, BEng (Hons) in Software Engineerin­g – a degree for those interested in applicatio­n developmen­t, and advanced software engineerin­g, or BEng (Hons) in Computer Networking – for those interested in wireless networks and network and cloud security.

Students will be released for O/L exams in year 11, and A/L exams in year 13. If the student exits halfway through the course without completing a single year of degree course work, no qualificat­ion will be awarded. If he completes Foundation and the First Year, he will receive the BCS HEQ Certificat­e. If he completes Foundation, First Year and Second Year, he receives both the BCS HEQ Certificat­e and BCS HEQ Diploma separately. Therefore, even if the students decide not to follow up on the Top-Up degree, they will still receive valid and recognised qualificat­ions from BCS: The Chartered Institute for IT, which are built on a track record of British academic excellence. Taught since 1969, these qualificat­ions at the highest level offer students a route to postgradua­te study, with the Profession­al Graduate Diploma in IT being the academic equivalent of a University Honours Degree in UK.

ESOFT, establishe­d in 2000, offers recognised qualificat­ions ranging from Certificat­e to Postgradua­te level in various discipline­s including Computing, Business Management, Hospitalit­y Management, Engineerin­g, Quantity Surveying, Personal and Profession­al Developmen­t and Language Training. For more informatio­n

about the Teen Graduate Programme, visit the ESOFT Head

Office at No. 3, De Fonseka Place, Colombo 4, or email

info@esoft.lk.

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