The Sri Lanka Association for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM) has partnered with Pearson Lanka to present a series of Tech Webinars targeted at upskilling IT undergraduates in Sri Lanka.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Sri Lanka and the Universities closed down, SLASSCOM proactively stepped in to bridge the knowledge gap by organizing a series of highly engaging bi-weekly webinars conducted by top IT industry professionals covering highly relevant and trending topics for university undergraduates. Titled the ‘Lockdown Webinars’, the free webinars conducted via Zoom, rapidly grew in popularity drawing more than 1,000 IT undergraduates from across the country and receiving really good feedback from participants and university lecturers alike.
SLASSCOM hopes to replicate these successes with this new series of Tech Webinars commencing from September 2020. Targeting young IT undergraduates looking at entering the industry, the webinar series will focus on knowledge sharing by industry experts who have experience, expertise and insights on Sri Lanka’s IT landscape. With the objective of upskilling the new generation, the series will also act as a platform for development and creativity to improve Sri Lanka’s future IT industry ecosystem.
Being in the forefront of uplifting the local IT industry with the latest breakthroughs in tech innovation, research and IT advancements, SLASSCOM is driven to enhance capacity and skill development in the sector – one of its key strategic initiatives. While looking at expanding the talent pool and leading capacity development, the association is also keen on influencing tomorrow’s IT leaders to take Sri Lanka’s tech domain to the next level.
“We have always placed our efforts in taking the IT industry of the island to greater heights – a priority we diligently invest in,” says Chairman of SLASSCOM Channa Manoharan
He notes: “The pandemic brought about many changes in how we do things, including how we expand knowledge, influence the newer generations and share experiences. Our webinars have proven to be very effective and have assembled large audiences who have been actively engaging with us during the lockdown. And it is this encouragement that drove us to launch a year of monthly webinars where we will be bringing together our own successful SLASSCOM members and IT undergraduates on to one platform for knowledge sharing.”
Pearson Lanka, the Strategic Partner for the Tech Webinar series is the largest Pearson owned technology center, employing nearly 900 IT professionals. The company is a leading provider of Software Development and Remote Infrastructure Management services to multiple technology groups, across Pearson – The World’s Learning Company.
“As one of the leading technology service providers helping more than 75 million learners across the world, we are proud to partner with SLASSCOM for this series of Tech Webinars”, said Diyath Ariyaratne, General Manager of Pearson Lanka. “With the government also mandating the improvement of technology and tech knowledge, we are indeed happy to support the growth of Sri Lanka’s IT ecosystem.
An industry enabler that has continuously proven its ability to develop and uplift local talent, SLASSCOM is looking forward to creating yet another industry benchmark through this Tech Webinar series.