In 2007-8, a record number of IT-BPO jobs will go unfilled or will be fulfilled by professionals who do not have the necessary skills. Less than 10% of those who sit their A/Level examinations will receive a place in university. Awareness about the IT-BPO industry and the career opportunities it offers is low or nonexistent in most of Sri Lanka.

These three facts led ICTA in 2007 to run the NICS 2007 IT-BPO career fair, at the BMICH in Colombo, for school children. This fair organised to spread awareness about the IT-BPO industry and provide individual career counselling by Ministry of Education counsellors along with IT-BPO industry personnel was a significant success with over 5,000 school children from all over Sri Lanka attending.

To spread this message further, ICTA is organising regional IT-BPO career fairs in 8 districts – Anuradhapura, Badulla, Galle, Hambantota, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara and Ratnapura. Already, the Ministry of Education, an important supporter of the 2007 career fair, has agreed to provide very significant support for all 8 fairs by endorsing these programs and also by means of providing career counsellors and ensuring the attendance of children and teachers of regional schools at the fairs.

Many IT-BPO industry personnel are needed once again– over 320 man hours worth of time – to make presentations and provide career counselling. To invite the IT-BPO industry to join hands with it, ICTA held an event with the Minister of Education, the Hon Susil Premajayantha as chief guest to launch the regional career fairs. The official IT- BPO Career fairs website, www.futuresisit.lk was launched at the event. Commenting on the web- site Mr. Fayaz Hudah, Programme Manager, Private Sector Development at ICTA said ‘ The web site allows personnel in the IT- BPO industry to pledged their support and all others interested in an IT- BPO career to get more information on the career fairs and also on IT- BPO careers’.

ICTA, whose goal is to spread the benefits of ICT to every citizen in Sri Lanka, invites those in the IT-BPO industry to join hands to build a better future for all.