National Information Technology and Business Process Management Week to kick off in October

Sri Lanka’s information technology (IT) sector will come under fresh spotlight, with the National IT and BPM Week set to be held from October 11 to 13, at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Hall, Colombo. 

This initiative has been set in motion by expediting President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s programme aimed at propelling the nation into the digital economy. The primary objective is to foster awareness of emerging technologies, facilitate skill development, offer career counselling and promote IT entrepreneurship. 

The programme’s target audience includes school students, both from public and private universities, vocational education institute students, job seekers and entrepreneurs within the Western province. Over the course of three days, this programme will provide a platform for industry insights and career guidance in IT and business processes.

It will also open doors to internships and job opportunities, complemented by workshops on IT and business processes conducted by technical educational institutions. Sri Lanka’s IT and business process management (BPM) industry continues to experience remarkable growth, offering employment opportunities to over 144,000 professionals. This sector, with its unique role in the Sri Lankan economy, makes a substantial contribution to the country’s GDP. 

In the year 2022 alone, this sector generated approximately US $ 1.7 billion. The government has ambitious plans to escalate this figure to US $ 5 billion. 

On a global scale, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like digitisation, automation and artificial intelligence is witnessing a steep ascent. To align with these trends and achieve our desired objectives, prioritising skill development is imperative. 

Furthermore, there is a vision to expand the workforce in this sector to 200,000 individuals by creating fresh employment opportunities for the youth of our nation. This industry’s anticipated contribution of 15 percent to the country’s GDP will position Sri Lanka at the forefront of the economic landscape, fostering the growth of a more prosperous nation. 

In adherence to the directives of Wickremesinghe and under the leadership of Technology State Minister Kanaka Herath, the Technology and Education Ministries, in collaboration with the key stakeholders, including the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Software and Service Companies Association (SLASSCOM), Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL), Information Technology Industry Federation (FITIS), Sri Lanka Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and other technical education institutes, are jointly facilitating the programme.