Sri Lanka’s IT industry joins forces with universities to produce graduates in subjects like data science
The Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM) has stated that the country’s information technology (IT) industry is working with universities to produce graduates in previously unavailable subjects like data science. The Association has identified the requirement in its quest to ramp up annual exports to US$ 5 billion.
SLASSCOM Chairman Jeevan Gnanam has reportedly said the country needs to re-assess its education system as data science skills, required by the rapidly evolving IT industry, had not been taught in universities.
“SLASSCOM has had to go to universities like Colombo University and come up with programs aimed at producing data science graduates,” Gnanam has made these observations at an economic forum in Colombo recently.
“We are working with universities trying to build capacity,” he has said.
The IT industry is giving priority to data science and artificial intelligence as it seeks to diversify its products and services to quickly increase export earnings despite facing shortages of skilled people.
The IT industry now earns US$ 1.2 billion in exports and has a 28 percent compounded average growth rate.
According to reports, the industry needs to go from employing about 7,000 IT graduates to employing 16,000 people.
“Traditionally the IT industry was focused on software development and finance and accounting,” Gnanam has noted. “We’re adding data science and AI.”
SLASSCOM has said in a statement it had launched a joint program with University of Colombo for Data Science and AI.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s IT industry with a target of achieving exports worth US$ 5 billion is on engaged in keeping abreast with the latest global developments as well as improving the skills of the local IT specialists. The latest move to join forces with local universities to produce more graduates in skilled IT and AI related sectors would help Sri Lanka’s IT industry achieve its US$ 5 billion target. Hence, the country’s IT sector poses new business opportunities and it will be further supported by a skilled work force as well.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20092018/Z_6 |