Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM) with their aim of producing the  requisite tech talent much needed by the country utilized their university-level skill development initiative that encompasses  all state and private higher education institutes, that upskills the next generation with the relevant skills to take the industry to the next level, recently signed the University Cooperation Agreement  with BCI Campus .

BCI is a fully fledged modern university that offers undergraduate pathways and several academic programmes in multiple disciplines.

The agreement covers several areas, including SLASSCOM’s Island of Ingenuity (IOI) brand, that is the catalyst for the local IT/BPM industry and empowers students with the necessary capabilities and competencies to embark on top technology careers. This includes support provided in curriculum design, where the chamber will appoint resource personnel from the industry to ensure that the university curriculum is up to date and tailored to suit industry requirements. In addition, the chamber will also be providing interview opportunities for industry placements for university students. The university is encouraged to utilize SLASSCOM’s Future Careers Bridge platform to incorporate the knowledge and skills to inculcate core professional skills in the students throughout their academic journey.

The agreement was virtually signed between SLASSCOM Chairperson Sandra De Zoysa and Rev. Fr. Quintus Fernando – Rector BCI Campus after which the parties moved on to discussing future steps and collaborative initiatives.

Commenting on the partnership, SLASSCOM Chairperson Sandra De Zoysa said “With the IT sector being an integral part of a country’s economic development, justified ever more strongly by the current pandemic which has rendered the sector as the backbone of a functioning society, the growth of IT jobs and the demand for IT experts are increasing at an accelerated pace. SLASSCOM, as the national chamber for the knowledge and innovation industry in Sri Lanka, strongly believes that this  program will be a game changer in the industry in terms of bridging the existing talent gap for IT professionals in the market  .

Rev. Fr. Quintus Fernando  stated “ It is with much hope and expectation that we enter into this landmark partnership with SLASSCOM, with the aim of creating synergy between education, and employability and thereby helping our students have opportunities to gainful employment opportunities. The partnership  also addresses  the need of the industry to have skilled people and as such  is a timely venture that will infuse creativity and innovation through knowledge exchange and collaboration, benefiting both students and the industry”.

SLASSCOM acts as the catalyst of growth of the Sri Lankan Knowledge and Innovation industry by facilitating trade and business, propagation of education and employment, encouragement of research and innovation, and by supporting the creation of a progressive national policy framework for the knowledge solutions industry. Furthermore, SLASSCOM continuously engages with its future workforce via its outreach activities in schools and universities across Sri Lanka.