SLASSCOM FUTURE CAREERS BRIDGE PROGRAM HOLDS “INDUSTRY CONNECT“ SERIES

Launched during the height of the pandemic in a proactive move to provide guidance and training for talented young IT enthusiasts who have a passion to enter the industry, SLASSCOM’s Future Careers BRIDGE Program has enjoyed immense successes and has proved to be an ideal pathway for shaping and harnessing the much-needed talent for the country’s Tech Industry.

The success of the program stems from providing youth a skill development journey in tech and the related soft skills, delivered through a virtual leader board that includes Tech Webinars, Online Boot Camps, and other similar engagements.?

Provided entirely free of charge, it enables students to gain hands-on industry experience through gaining access to value driven internships and possible scholarships, building both knowledge and proficiency in the field.

Driven by the SLASSCOM Capacity Forum and supported by a team of industry leaders who volunteer their expertise, the program targets students who have completed their school education and could not get an opportunity to get selected to a university?

As a part of the Future Careers Bridge initiative, the team conducts a quarterly webinar series named “Industry Connect” , where over 300+ BRIDGE students received the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the future of the tech industry, where mentors who were seasoned professionals in the field help to give a birds-eye view about present and future industry standards, skill requirements and employer expectations.?

Chamal Perera, Quality Assurances Lead at 99X, gave an introduction to the future potential of the IT industry, followed by Rangika Ekanayake, Senior Manager Software Engineering at IFS, who outlined the different roles and opportunities available in the IT industry at present.?

Sanjaya Elvitigala – CEO of eLearning.lk provided an insight into the Essential Power Skills to succeed in the tech industry. Didula Perera, program manager of the BRIDGE program along with Bani Chandrasena, Capacity Forum Lead, conducted an interactive Q and A session that discussed the next steps for the students following the Bridge program and motivated them to be resilient during these difficult times and examined how learning tech can be a great leveler for the country’s progress.?

SLASSCOM Board Member and Capacity Forum Head Nishan Mendis explaining the overall goal of this program said “investing in the youth of our country will help unlock future opportunities that can benefit Sri Lanka exponentially in the years to come. Upskilling the nation’s youth will help them pursue meaningful careers, stay relevant and ignite high competency levels and the thirst for excellence.? As Sri Lanka’s future changemakers, they could be the defining factors of our economy in the years to come.?With the current need for a technology-first and skill-first economy, it’s a national call for the development of good talent and to level up our workforce to global standards and this is what we are aiming to achieve through this program”.?

The event was partnered and supported by YouLead and the Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE)?