FITIS organizes ICT Career Guidance Seminars Parallel to Infotel-2018 Expo
In parallel to Sri Lanka’s largest ICT Exhibition “INFOTEL 2018” which will be held from 2nd to 4th November 2018 at the BMICH under the theme of “Towards a Digital Economy”, the Education Chapter of the Federation of IT Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) will be organizing ICT Career Guidance Seminars for Secondary School Students and Career Seekers in collaboration with Information and Communication Technology Agency Sri Lanka ( ICTA) and Ministry of Education (MOE).
The objective of the ICT Career Guidance program is to promote ICT among school students and career seekers in order to achieve the government’s aim to transform Sri Lanka towards a creative knowledge-based society through digitally empowered citizens and to promote the use of Information technology and ICT career opportunities among Secondary School Students. Further, this program enables to create awareness among the students and teachers of the developments in technology and its applications in everyday life, opportunities for business, for employment and Careers in ICT.
Expressing his views on ICT Career Guidance program, Mr. Vajira Karunaratne Vi c e - President of Education and Training Chapter - FITIS and Head of Career Guidance said: ‘‘ Every year, we have been conducting these Career Guidance seminars parallel to Infotel ICT Expo and in that order, this year too Career Guidance programme is planned to be held on the 02nd Nov 2018 at BMICH for National/ International School Students and Teachers. This year we have also planned to have a Career Guidance Seminar targeting female students highlighting suitable ICT career pathways to encourage and motivate them to join the ICT Industry. Also we have planned to conduct ICT Workshops - “Educate to Innovate” for Teacher trainees of National Schools of Education under MoE which provides hands on experience in IT.’’
‘‘ FITIS believes that building a knowledge society will contribute immensely for national prosperity and there is a great opportunity to guide youth to capture the opportunities generated by new developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Hence the inclusion of the career awareness program as a parallel activity of the exhibition will generate greater results in the long term to enhance the much needed ICT human resource capacity in the country. Over 5,000 School Students and Teachers will participate and the participant will expose to a com- prehensive career guidance program focused on broadening their visions from traditional jobs to global careers in Information Technology ( IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)’’, Mr. Vajira Karunaratne explained.
‘‘We have identified that majority of students still do not select IT as their career path due to lack of awareness of the demand and Career Opportunities available in the IT field. Teachers and Parents have to play a major role by providing options in addition to traditional industries such as Law, Medicine, Engineering etc. so that the students will explore various opportunities in the modern world filled with emerging technology.
“IT has become such an important component of our lives at work place, at home etc. that without IT we will not be able to survive. Today professionals f rom all sectors such as Agr i c u l t u re, Log i s t i c s & Transport, Fisheries, Health, Education, Telecommunication, Power & Energy, Finance & Banking, Manufacturing & Trading, Tourism, Engineering, Architects, and Law etc. should have IT skills to excel in their Career. They can be highly qualified in their relevant fields but if they do not have IT Skills it will be a great setback for them to perform their job roles. Due to increasing dependence we have on technology it is important to encourage students to learn IT Education from an early stage ’’ Mr. Vajira Karunaratne, VicePresident of Education and Training Chapter - FITIS and Head of Career Guidance pointed out.