ICTISC signs MoU with USJP to bridge skills gap

From left: USJP Marketing Management Head Dr. Amila Jayarathna, ICT Industry Skills Council Chairman Chinthaka Wijewickrama, USJP Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce Dean Dr. Anura U. Kumara, ICTISC Vice-Chairman Eng. Arjuna Manamperi and General Manager Charika Yahampath pose for a photograph during the MoU signing ceremony

ICT Industry Skills Council (ICTISC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of the Marketing Management of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP). 

The main objective of signing the MOU is to improve students’ competency, soft skills and thus employability quotient and it is also aimed at fostering a long-lasting relationship among the parties and exchanging knowledge in the areas of human resources, soft skills and Information Technology. 

Furthermore, this will provide opportunities to Marketing Management undergraduates in grabbing exclusive internship programs provided by institutions along with a series of ICT programs conducted by ICTISC, Sri Lanka. The agreement will also strengthen the links between academia and industry while transferring knowledge and skills across parties, and will also empower the youth in their career development.

The agreement was signed in the presence of USJP Vice-Chancellor Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce Dean Dr. Anura U. Kumara, Marketing Management Head Dr. Amila Jayarathna, Senior Lecturer Dr. Lalith Chandralal, ICTISC Chairman Chinthaka Wijewickrama, Vice-Chairman Eng. Arjuna Manamperi, General Manager Charika Yahampath, a host of other distinguished guests, lecturers and students from the Marketing Management department.

Commenting on the partnership, Vice Chancellor Prof. Sampath Amaratunge said: “In today’s world, it is well-known fact every subject, every profession is connected with the computer, information and communication technology. Hence, we cannot deny the importance of the knowledge of information technology. 

“Undergraduates those who study marketing management at the university, now has the opportunity to make their future marketing career more successful by gaining ICT knowledge and experience. And we are delighted to be able to enter into an agreement with an organisation representing the IT industry.

“This is a great move as we collaborate with a partner like ICTSC, interested in investing in the youth by providing them the chance to put theory to practice. We at USJP seek to provide a holistic experience to all our learners under this agreement,” Prof. Amaratunge said.

Speaking on behalf of ICTISC, Chairman Chinthaka Wijewickrama stressed the importance of working with leading universities in the country to close the gap between what the market requires and what is taught in class.

“Despite the fact that there are ample job opportunities in the labour market, almost in every sector, Sri Lankan youth are highly lacking job competencies required by the corporate sector. Sri Lankan system of education is criticised severely because it doesn’t have a syllabus that is career oriented or focused on jobs. This clearly indicate the necessity to revamp the existing education curriculum in the country and to have a proactive and constant dialogue between degree awarding and vocational training institutes in the country  to address this issue to a great extent,” Wijewickrama said.

“The innovation of the ICT in modern teaching is crucial for national development. In this background, ICT should be inculcated in the educational system in the country for teaching and development. This will ensure that local educational system would be able to cater to ever-changing requirement in the job market,” he said.

He further noted that there are ample job opportunities for marketers in the field of Information Technology. However, he noted that students pursuing a Bachelor of Marketing Management degree are reluctant to enter the marketing profession, especially in IT companies as they think they are completely unfamiliar with this area.

The Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, USJP is the largest faculty in terms of undergraduate student population across any discipline in Sri Lanka. It is also considered as the premiere Management Faculty in the country, and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the areas including Accounting, Business Administration, Business Economics, Commerce, Decisions Sciences, Entrepreneurship, Estate Management and Valuation, Finance, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, Marketing Management and Public Administration.

ICTISC which is an industry-led and industry-driven organisation, recognised and supported by the Government, functions under a Board of Directors comprising industry leaders from leading companies in the country and Government parties. 

The Council provides an online platform for collaboration among multiple stakeholders linking up industry, industry bodies, government bodies, Government Training Arms, Private training arms, Academia and the workforce towards reaching predefined national goals.