ICTA supports EDEX 2010

23-Dec-2009

Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), the single apex body focused on developing the country's ICT policy, will solidify its partnership with EDEX 2010, the largest National Higher Education and Careers Expo, taking on the role of strategic partner for the third consecutive time.

ICTA is of the view that EDEX as the leading higher education and career exhibition in the country is the best medium to take their message of developing ICT awareness to a mass audience.

From left, Deputy Chairman EDEX Nalin Goonawardene, Treasurer RCU Athula Munasinghe, Chief Operating Officer/Director ICTA Reshan Dewapura, Chairman EDEX Kamal Abeysinghe, Senior Programme Head - e-Society ICTA Chitranganie Mubarak and Director Web Development EDEX Asith de Silva

"EDEX is one of the largest and most comprehensive higher education and career fairs with a huge reach among youth; therefore it is beneficial in promoting our goal of making ICT a pivotal tool in the country's socio-economic development. Through the EDEX Web Portal we hope to reach a vast audience, especially rural youth and share the value of ICT. This in turn will open up opportunities for them to pursue higher education and employment options of their choice," ICTA Chief Operating Officer Reshan Dewapura said.

While stating that the collaboration with EDEX had been effective and had paid rich dividends so far, Dewapura noted that the partnership had strengthened with time because the EDEX goals and objectives match the vision of ICTA.

ICTA, the driving force behind the e-Sri Lanka Initiative, will use EDEX as a platform to create awareness about the importance of ICT in capacity building and the potential of ICT related job opportunities.

"EDEX is the ideal mechanism to enlighten the youth of Sri Lanka about the growth of ICT related job opportunities, especially the IT/BPO sector. The rapidly expanding BPO industry is still remains largely untapped with a huge potential.  As of now the country's IT/BPO industry is the 5th largest foreign exchange earner," Dewapura elaborated.

"Our goal is to make it a US$ 1 billion industry in the next few years. In order to do so we need a 100,000 or so work force and EDEX is the ideal way to get this message across. By working closely with EDEX, ICTA will promote the IT/BPO industry as a professional, high value, up market career. ICTA is currently engaged in promotional activities in this regard, we plan to use EDEX to push this message across a broad spectrum of people," he added.

He further noted that ICTA would also use EDEX as a platform to create an understanding about its Nenasala Program with which it is envisaged to develop the country's ICT infrastructure. This is an integral element of e -Sri Lanka which is focused on taking the benefits of ICT to every village and every citizen through different modules of operation.

ICTA will create awareness about Nenasalas and showcase how these Nenasalas can be used to effectively improve one's ICT literacy at EDEX 2010 which is scheduled to get underway from 15 to 17 of January at BMICH and 19 and 20 January at Kandy City Centre.

EDEX too will largely benefit from this strategic partnership Dewapura said, as ICTA would open up its Nenasala Infrastructure to the EDEX job portal, popularise the EDEX job portal in the ICTA website and other mediums of communication and create awareness about EDEX and its mandate in numerous ICTA IT/ BPO career fairs.