ESOFT and GDITVS join hands to transform lives through education

As Sri Lanka’s IT sector progresses in line with its vision to become a major contributor to the economy, certain regions in the country lag behind. Among these is the Nuwara Eliya District. However, a new initiative by two educational organisations promises to change things. They will provide Information Technology and English courses at subsidised rates to the disadvantaged communities in the area.

ESOFT Metro Campus in collaboration with the Gamini Dissanayake Institute of Technology & Vocational Studies (GDITVS) launched this initiative to enhance the IT and English skills of the youth in the Nuwara Eliya District. It was based on their shared vision to provide affordable and accessible education to all.

The aim is to create a pool of skilled youth who will be able to meet the requirements of the job market. This will enable them to perform more value-adding roles in society and improve their living standards. In the process, they will contribute to the development of the communities around them and the Nation as a whole.

The ESOFT-GDITVS collaboration is particularly relevant given Sri Lanka’s lack of IT personnel to meet its ambitious goals. At present, the country has only 80,000 professionals qualified in IT. This is far short of the 200,000 who will be required to meet its IT growth goals by 2022. The country’s annual forex earnings through IT services currently stands at US$1.1 billion. The target is to raise this figure to US$5 billion by 2022. This will require a rapid building of Sri Lanka’s IT skills base.

Ambitious Initiative

The programmes offered under the new initiative are the Diploma in IT, Diploma in English, E-Kids (basic IT skills for youngsters), ICT for Grades 6 to 9, and O/Level ICT. All these will be offered at very nominal rates. Anybody can apply, and the response so far has been very positive.

The launch ceremony was held at the GDITVS premises in Hawa Eliya, Nuwara Eliya on February 10th, 2019. Among the participants were Minister of Plantation Industries and Chairman of the Gamini Dissanayake Foundation, Hon. Naveen Dissanayake, Director, Gamini Dissanayake Foundation, Dr. Lanka Dissanayake, Principal and Executive Director, Gamini Dissanayake Foundation, NHS Dalpadado and Chairman, ESOFT Group of Companies, Dr. Dayan Rajapakse.

This initiative could help boost the prospects of Nuwara Eliya to become a BPO centre in the future. At present, there are no BPO operations in the area, but the cool, pleasant climate and relaxed environment is ideal for such work as coding.

Chairman of the ESOFT Group of Companies, Dr. Dayan Rajapakse decided to collaborate with GDITVS due to their well-focused educational programmes and the discipline they maintain.

ESOFT Metro Campus will provide the educational materials and expertise and will closely monitor the quality of delivery on a continuous basis. Lecturers from the institute have been trained to deliver the relevant courses, which will be offered at their premises in Nuwara Eliya. Campus officials will also visit the institute to conduct a series of career guidance sessions for students and parents.

The new initiative has already received the approval and support of government authorities. It will create a pool of skilled youth from lowincome families who will be able to enhance their job prospects. They will be ready to perform value-adding, productive roles in their future careers. This will greatly benefit Sri Lanka, which is positioning itself as a knowledge-based service economy.

This initiative is the latest CSR project of ESOFT Metro Campus. It is in line with their vision to transform lives and develop the nation through education. Other CSR initiatives include the donation of 33 fully-equipped IT labs to rural schools and offering scholarships in IT and English to top-performing A/L students.

ESOFT Metro Campus

ESOFT Metro Campus is the largest private sector higher education network in Sri Lanka. With 42 centres spread across the country, it creates opportunities for over 30,000 students every year. It has built a reputation by providing students affordable and accessible education for their future success.

The campus offers a range of globallyaccepted qualifications from internationallyrenowned institutions. These include undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and higher national diplomas (HNDs). All these can be done in Sri Lanka at a fraction of what it would cost overseas.

Several degree courses are offered in IT, Management and Engineering. These are among the most lucrative fields with the potential to earn high incomes after graduation.

Numerous students have gone on to build successful careers in Sri Lanka and overseas after studying at ESOFT Metro Campus.

The centres offer a range of modern facilities. These include air-conditioned classrooms, state-of-the-art computer labs, multimedia facilities and comprehensive library services.

ESOFT Metro Campus shows students the best academic path for success after their A/Ls. This is vital in a context where only a relatively small number of talented students are able to enter state universities.

ESOFT students have a very impressive pass rate of 90% +. They can expect promising job opportunities in fields ranging from IT and engineering to business management, hospitality, travel and tourism.

GDITVS

The Gamini Dissanayake Institute of Technology & Vocational Studies (GDITVS) is a project of the Gamini Dissanayake Foundation. It was launched 18 years ago to realise the ideals and vision of the late political leader. A main objective is to empower youth economically through education.

GDITVS focuses on human resource development and enhancing entrepreneurial skills. It lays much emphasis on areas such as IT and English that will open new opportunities in the job market. By imparting the latest knowledge and skills in these areas, the institute hopes to raise the living standards of socially disadvantaged communities.

The facilities of GDITVS include a modern building and the most advanced IT laboratory in the Central Province. It has also benefited from local and international affiliations. The institute has thus been able to create a very conducive environment for learning.

Over the years, GDITVS has expanded its range of courses and training, which now covers IT, English, coding and personality development, among other areas. These are geared to cater to the existing and emerging requirements of the job market.