Career guidance at APIIT

Importance of choosing the right education and career

Good higher education is designed to unravel one's full potential. Often, this leads to forging a rewarding career.

However, determining what's best for us is no easy task.  The vast majority of students in Sri Lanka leave school with only a vague idea of employment opportunities and with little insight as to the most appropriate career direction for their abilities, interests and personality. They need guidance and counselling to select the appropriate higher education programmes and careers.

Each of us has a unique combination of skills, interests, aptitudes, personality traits, strengths and weaknesses. To fully develop our potential through higher education we must first take the necessary time to become aware of the many facets of our personality.

It has been reported that as many as 80% Americans are in the wrong jobs with regard to their skills and abilities. They feel 'stuck' in their jobs with poor morale, disinterest and de-motivation. This is an eventuality we must avoid at all costs.  Discovering ourselves is a key first step in determining what career path to develop in life and hence what kind of higher education to pursue.

There are several ways to find out more about your skills, interests and aptitude, and to match those to a future career and higher education. Not all are equally helpful though and there are pros and cons of each approach.

'Trial and error' is a common approach adopted to assess our capabilities. Many students follow study programmes hoping that they would be able to enjoy such programmes and develop appropriate careers in line with the training received.  More often than not, such trial and error results in a mismatch between one's aptitude and the job.

Often the decision to pursue a study programme and a related career is made on the basis of job prospects.  Nowadays, for example, there is so much talk about the shortage of manpower for the IT industry. But then, is IT a good career for us?  We need to find out. Availability of jobs is an important parameter provided that the jobs are also in line with our aptitude and interests.

Sometimes we receive recommendations from our friends and relations. Unfortunately this well-meaning guidance is based on judgments made from within their own frame of reference which may not be relevant for us.

For example, there is social pressure in our country to become doctors and engineers and many succumb to such compulsions.  Some would regret these hasty decisions later on and try to wriggle out of the boring jobs they find themselves in to pursue careers they can really enjoy.  Unfortunately, only a few succeed at such attempts and that too after wasting lots of time and money.

It is therefore advisable to seek the guidance of professional career counsellors. The career guidance counsellors can provide information about various study programmes and careers available and may also help you to explore yourself. 

The counsellors at APIIT - Sri Lanka are well informed about the study programmes on offer at APIIT and the careers they lead to.  They can assist you to match your interests and aptitude to the demands of the study programmes and related careers and help you make an informed decision.  Selection of study programmes to suit one's interests and strengths often leads to successful completion of higher education and rewarding careers.

If you are keen to pursue a career in IT/ Computing or Business Management, this is your opportunity. Call Senani, Kanchana or Jayan on 011 2675060 to make an appointment for a career guidance and  counselling session and select an appropriate higher education programme to suit your likes and dislikes.  You may also visit the APIIT City Campus at Union Place, Colombo 2 to meet with a counsellor.

The APIIT City Campus is open on weekdays from 8.30 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 8.30 am to 1 pm.

Globally recognised, career enhancing Australian MBA at Oxford

Oxford College of Business has strongly emerged as a topmost tertiary and higher education institute in Sri Lanka  earning local and international fame and popularity. Sited in a central and convenient location in the heart of Colombo at Colpetty, the magnetic attraction of the institute consistently draws a large student population of diverse age groups, essentially for the large selection of courses on offer.

Last September, Oxford College launched the MBA programme in affiliation with the Australian Institute of Business Administration, a top notch private higher education provider in Australia approved by the government of Australia.

Oxford has been successfully conducting the MBA programme since last September providing best service and care to their MBA students.

MBA

The Global nature of modern business has sharpened the need for professionalism in management, and universities and business schools offer MBA programmes that reflect this reality. Organisations are aware that narrow professional qualifications or functional skills are not enough for success in a business environment

One way to kick start a career is to take a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). With the speed of business activities accelerating in the global marketplace, people need to be more commercially aware than ever. The MBA qualification is a well established route to gain the necessary skills and knowledge.

According to the latest career and salary survey, the salaries of MBA graduates have risen consistently over the past few years. The survey also shows that respondents receive both immediate and lasting career enhancement following their studies.

The reputation of the institution from which the MBA is gained is crucial. Employers do not simply ask whether an applicant has an MBA - they also want to know from where it was obtained.

An MBA can help you in consolidating your business knowledge and reach new professional heights. 

Gibaran Learning Group (GLG)

GLG is a leading private higher education group based in Australia, specialising in management development and the delivery of business education, including undergraduate, postgraduate and research qualifications.

The GLG consists of four higher education providers - Gibaran Graduate School of Business, Entrepreneurship Institute Australia, Tourism Institute Australia and Australian Institute of Business Administration.

Qualifications offered by AIBA are accredited within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and are deemed to have the same standing as similar qualifications issued by an Australian university.

Based in South Australia, GLG has more than 20 education centres around the globe in 14 countries, including the UK, Singapore and Malaysia.

Australian Institute of Business Administration (AIBA)

AIBA delivers undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications with a diverse range of specialisations that reflect the current and forecasted global business environment.

The qualifications provided by AIBA are registered under the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

CRICOS is a register of educational institutions that have met a set of quality assurance requirements to offer courses to international students. The MBA is fully accredited within the prestigious Australian Qualification Framework - making the qualification recognised globally.

The AIBA is listed on the South Australian Higher Education Register and the Australian Qualification Framework Advisory Board's register of bodies with authority to issue qualifications.

Innovative 12 month MBA model

Many of the most highly ranked universities including Oxford and Cambridge offer a 12 month MBA programme.

GLG has been offering 12 month MBA programmes internationally for a number of years through its teaching centres with high degrees of success in terms of enrolments, completion rates and graduate outcomes.

Same content, shorter duration

The 12 month MBA contains similar content to most Australian and international university courses, confirmed by the fact that the MBA is fully accredited. The intensive structure of the course forgoes term and semester breaks, which in traditional MBA models constitutes a substantial amount of time during the course.

Independent learning material

AIBA provides significant amounts of independent learning material including reading material and articles, in addition to the core text for each subject. AIBA also provides MBA students access to their online resources. 

Intensive workshops (face to face)

Rather than delivering each subject over a series of one or two hour classes per term, the 12 month MBA is offered over eight intensive workshop days per month. This allows students to plan their year in advance and accelerates the learning process.

Classes are held on weekends only to suite the requirements of working executives. 

One subject each month

The 12 month MBA is offered as one subject per month. This means that students need to focus on just one subject at a time, in addition to their usual personal and professional obligations. The fact that the examination is just a month away from the start of each subject has contributed to high completion rates, as the students are continuously motivated.

12 month MBA faculty

The faculty is academically highly qualified, with each member holding a Masters or Doctoral Degree in their area of specialisation.

AIBA also requires teaching staff to have held a senior position in an organisation for a number of years in their area of specialisation, with most currently holding significant full-time positions.

The benefit for students is that the knowledge being shared by these faculty members is current, and the most accurate reflection of industry as it stands today.

Structure and duration

The course is divided into three equal stages being the Graduate Certificate stage, the Graduate Diploma stage and the MBA stage. Each stage consists of four subjects, each delivered over four months.

Subjects

The 12 month MBA consists of 12 exciting and highly relevant subjects which are greatly in demand in today's business world, designed by business leaders for future business leaders.

The MBA comprises 12 subjects, including eight core subjects (which include a final project) and four elective subjects (based on the specialisation you choose). The school is currently offering the General MBA and specialisation in Finance, HRM and Marketing.

Assessment

AIBA's emphasis on application as well as the related theory in each area of business is reflected through its unique assessment strategy for the 12 month MBA:

For each subject (other than the final project)

1. One open book examination (80%); and

2. One assignment (20%)

For the final project, students will undertake a project which addresses an issue of strategic or functional importance to an organisation of their choice.

The prestigious MBA is a unique opportunity for those who are eager to embark upon this route of study and  extending their knowledge base in the context of global business.

More information could be obtained by contacting the programme coordinator on 4947791 or 0773612555.

Top CIM (UK) officials visit Sri Lanka

A top level delegation from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) including the Director - Education, Professor Keith Fletcher; Regional Director - Education, Ian Marshall and the Head of Education, Susan Ward, visited Sri Lanka recently. The objective of the visit was to study the Sri Lankan market; more importantly to build awareness of the new syllabus, which is effective from this month.

In order to familiarise the tutors with the syllabus revisions, a seminar was held on May 14 at Water's Edge, attended by over 40 lecturers representing the CIM Accredited Study Centers in the country. The new syllabus will be introduced phase by phase.

To begin with, the assignment based evaluation will be introduced for the CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing from December 2008. The new assessment system will train students to think more "out-of-the-box" thereby meeting the requirements of the industry while being more competitive in the job market.

The UK officials, accompanied by the Chairman, CIM Sri Lanka Region, Shiraz Latiff,  Head of Education, Ajith Medis and Head of Operations, Priyanthi Seneviratne  from the CIM Sri Lanka Region met Dr. Uditha Liyanage, Director, Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) to discuss the Senior Managers Programme that will be lunched in 2009, in collaboration with PIM.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region also organised a get-together at the Ceylon Continental Hotel for the University Deans to coincide with the UK officials' visit. Vice chancellors, university deans and senior lecturers representing the Eastern, Kelaniya, Ruhuna, Sabaragamuwa, Sri Jayawardenapura and Wayamba Universities participated in the event.

The UK delegation also visited some of the CIM accredited study centres. Prof. Keith Fletcher, speaking of the tour, mentioned that it had been a pleasure to see how marketing as a profession is being developed in Sri Lanka, being an example to the entire South Asian region. He congratulated the CIM Sri Lanka Region, CIM Accredited Tuition Centres and all CIM members for their contribution to this development.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the world's largest and most prestigious professional body for marketing and the Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region is the fastest growing CIM body, with nearly 1080 members and almost 3000 student members.

NSF celebrates 40 years of service in science

The National Science Foundation (NSF) celebrated its 40th anniversary recently. During this period, the foundation has rendered yeoman service in the development of science and technology in Sri Lanka.

To mark this special occasion, a ceremony was held at the institute with the Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Tissa Vitharana attending as the Guest of Honour. The event, attended by many distinguished guests, also incorporated a felicitation ceremony for staff who had served the institution for more than 20 years. Former directors and scientists were honoured for their contributions to the NSF and to the development of science in the country.

At the ceremony, the Minister commended the National Science Foundation for its active contribution to the advancement of scientific research in Sri Lanka. In his speech the  Minister Vitharana highlighted the importance of developing science and scientific research in order to strengthen the economic and social development of the country.

The Minister commended the efforts undertaken by the National Science Foundation in leading the recent national nanotechnology initiative which could pave the way towards the development of telecommunication, apparels, water purification, and agro-based industries. At the ceremony, the institute was also acknowledged for supporting ground breaking work in the areas of DNA technology, natural products and landmine detection.

However, he also highlighted the constraints faced by the institute as well as the ministry due to lack of funds allocated by past and present governments in their annual budgets. This has proven to be a constraint for furthering research untaken by the National Science Foundation.

Thus far, the institute has supported its research and findings entirely on public funds. If sufficient funds were provided for the institute for its scientific research, it is then possible to address pressing issues faced by the country at present and to seek long term alternatives for them, it was pointed out.

Established as a statutory body by an Act of Parliament in1994, the National Science Foundation succeeded the Natural Resource, Energy and Science Authority (NARESA), established in 1981, which in turn succeeded the National Science Council, established in 1968. Some of the key objectives of NSF are to promote research, development and innovation in order to create a knowledge-based economy by building public-private, institution-industry partnerships, with a view to strengthening scientific research potential, developing natural resources, promoting the welfare of people in the country, and by training research personnel in science and technology.

OSC's Class of 2008 graduates

Twenty five students from 15 different countries graduated from the Overseas School of Colombo recently. This was the 25th graduation in the school's 51 year history. "The Class of 2008 represents the school motto of 'Unity in Diversity' and in fact we have Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Italy, Germany, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, UK and USA, represented," said Head of School, Laurie McLellan.

After lighting the traditional oil lamp to the accompaniment of Kandyan musicians, the speeches began. The opening speech was made by Lavanya Jeyaratnam who was chosen by her peers to speak on behalf of the Class of 2008. Her speech was followed by the faculty speaker, chosen by the students.

The Head of English used Dante's Inferno as the core of his speech in which he encouraged graduates never to be indifferent about important issues. The guest speaker who gave the commencement address was MD of North Indian Ocean Trading (Pvt) Ltd., Rex Hatherley. He encouraged students to take risks and find the one passion they enjoy most and try to work in that area.

A musical interlude saw the class of 2008, ably led by Candido Bousquet, sing Stand By Me. The valedictorian address was given by Saliya Ranchagoda, a scholarship student who managed to score the highest marks of the graduating class. Saliya used humour to compare the differences between a more traditional Sri Lankan education and the IB education at OSC.

Students at OSC graduate with a fully accredited American style High School Diploma and the vast majority also achieve the International Baccalaureate Diploma; the best access to quality universities throughout the world. OSC has been offering the IB Diploma for 25 years with many teachers being examiners and trainers. This clearly benefited the Class of 2008.

One interesting fact about this small graduating class was that there were two sets of twins: Anuradha and Amanada Illeperumaarachchi as well as Shohane and Shevon Vannitamby. The graduates are heading off to universities in Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, South Africa, UK and USA.

Bachelor degrees through Blended Learning - e-learning + classroom

Singapore Informatics - bringing education to your desktop

Imagine, your are a programmer, with deadlines almost weekly or daily, working round the clock, which demands frequent late evening/nights of code churning and debugging and still you want a degree.

Picture yourself as a vice president/director of a multinational corporation. Now you feel it is the right time for an MBA but with meetings today in Colombo, tomorrow in the Middle East and next day in Tokyo, a programme with fixed class room schedules does not suit you, so what are your alternatives?

Say you are not a senior executive but just after your A/L working for a BPO - a five day job but on a shift /roster basis, what about your higher studies - are you to take leave constantly for your studies or swap your shifts with your colleagues, if so for how long?

All this is not hypothetical; in today's knowledge economy work does not get confined from morning 8 to evening 5 when you work with multinationals or multinational companies across different time zones - some times you might find yourself telecommuting (working from home) or teleconferencing with your subordinate. For him it may be his work time but it can be your off time or vice versa - finding time within a fixed work schedule in today's context is extremely difficult.

The answer then is e-learning. You may ask or wonder. is it just another form of 'distance learning'? Of course it is... but it is the 'contemporary counterpart' of distance learning. It has been able to change the whole experience of distance learning.

The pioneer e-learning provider in Sri Lanka, Singapore Informatics, a 100%-owned venture of Informatics Education has been at the forefront of this change.

Informatics Education is a leading training and education provider listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Informatics Holdings Limited is a world class institute for quality lifelong learning services and made the ranking among Forbes' Global 200 Best Small Companies in the world.

Singapore Informatics started its e-learning degree programme way back in 2002. Todate Singapore Informatics has produced hundreds of graduates and master degree holders. Singapore Informatics' e-learning programme strength is basically driven from its supplementary industry competent lecture panel, its infrastructure, its excellence in education over a decade, apart from its core strength of being a partner of the world's largest e-learning training provider PurpleTrain.com.

Singapore Informatics offers e-learning mode degree programmes both in business and computing with leading universities like University of Portsmouth and University of Wales etc.

PurpleTrain.com is the e-learning service provider which offers a one-stop service for business and IT education programmes, corporate training courses and education-related services.

By combining innovative technology with world-class training content, PurpleTrain.com offers companies and individuals a high value, quality and effective on-line training solution. Over 700 on-line courses are available, offering masters, degrees, diplomas and certificates in business and IT programmes. Its online learning community now stands at over 72,000 users.

PurpleTrain.com is a 100%-owned venture of Informatics Education.

Here are six reasons why should you study your degree programme at Singapore Informatics:

1. Singapore Informatics is the pioneer e-learning programme that started way back
     in 2002 for Degree and Masters programmes in Sri Lanka

2.  It is not only e-learning - Singapore Informatics provides more direct contact hours
     with the resource personnel/lecturers than some of the fully taught programmes

3. Globally every module is facilitated  by a facilitator through online chats, discussion
    rooms and private e-mails resulting in immense convenience and flexibility

4. Rich variety of course materials -hard  copies and soft copies, PowerPoint
    slides, etc. accessible 24X7X365

5. It is powered by PurpleTrain.com  the largest online training provider outside of USA

6. Here in Sri Lanka at Singapore Informatics, through e-learning mode you will encounter
    only a small fraction of the cost (less than 25 %) to get the same degree as you
    would get on campus.

Courses offered via PurpleTrain .Com:

University of Portsmouth Programmes

* BSc (Hons) in Technology Management & Computing

* BSc in Computing - six months degree

* MSc in Strategic Business and IT

University of Wales Programmes

* BSc (Hons) in Business Administration ( Marketing)

* Master of Business Administration

* MSc in Business Information Technology

To meet a professional counselor to analyse your educational prospects call over at their office at Second Floor, Liberty Plaza. Colombo 3 or call on 2564796/7 4710650.

Busy executives, senior mangers and CEOs who are eager to be qualified with an MBA or an MSc., but finding time to attend classes being a major drawback, Singapore Informatics offers a solution with its study anytime, anywhere through e-learning programmes.

Intakes are now open for MBA and MSc streams.

SLT support for CIMA World Conference

Sri Lanka Telecom was the platinum sponsor of the CIMA World Conference 2008. The World Conference is CIMA Sri Lanka's flagship conference as well as one of the premier events hosted in the country.

"We understand what it is like to support a good cause. This is why we are glad to partner with CIMA in its efforts to empower professionalism, presenting top-notch professionals at the CIMA World Summit 2008. We take this opportunity to reassure Sri Lanka's professionals, our firm commitment to support professionalism through a comprehensive communication network.

"We will always run the extra mile to support professionals by providing them with state-of-the-art communication solutions. Our aim is to raise the standards of professionalism throughout Sri Lanka, through a reliable and robust communications backbone," said Chairperson, SLT, Leisha De Silva Chandrasena at the inaugural event.

SriLankan assists in education of its employees' children

SriLankan Airlines has expanded its programme to provide scholarships to its employees' children, redoubling its efforts to assist in their education.

Head of Human Resources Pradeepa Dahanayake said: "SriLankan Airlines is fully committed towards assisting our nation's future generation. We have significantly increased the number of scholarships for children in the SriLankan family."

SriLankan has made the education of children throughout the country its focus in CSR activities, including that of its charity arm SriLankan Cares.

The widening of the scholarship programme saw three scholarships being awarded to the finest performing children at the Year 5 Scholarship Examination, increased from the earlier single scholarship per year, by the Staff Welfare Society of SriLankan Airlines. Each of the three Year 5 winners will receive an annual financial grant throughout the rest of their school careers, through O-levels and A-levels.

Another addition was the presenting of cash prizes and gift packs to 10 students who obtained eight A's at the GCE Ordinary Level Examination. In addition, another 30 children who passed the Year 5 Exam were presented gift packs.

Master Isuru Anuradha Perera of Ranpokunugama Maha Vidyalaya in Nittambuwa, scored the highest ever number of marks by a SriLankan Airlines child since the inception of the Scholarship Programme in 2000. His score of 191 beat the 186 marks by Sashi Sewwandi, in the very first year of the programme. His mother, Sajeewa Perera, is at the airline's International Aviation Academy.

Sajeewa Perera said: "The company provides wonderful support for children of employees. The recent expansion of the number of scholarships is most welcome, as more and more children will receive support."

Nithya Pramod Biyanwila of St. John Bosco's College in Kaluaggala, came in second with a score of 186. Chetha Sahan Bandara of Isipathana College in Colombo was third with 183 marks.

Gamini Pathiratne, Secretary of the Staff Welfare Society, said: "Our concept is to encourage our children to pursue their studies, by showing them that SriLankan Airlines is fully supportive of them."

HR candidate awarded scholarship in Japan

Kalum R. Disnaka, employee services manager of Suntel Ltd., was recently selected to be awarded a scholarship for the Asia Personnel Manager Training Programme 2008 in Japan.

MD, Suntel Ltd., Jeremy Huxtable commenting on this achievement said "This is the second time that a Sri Lankan candidate has been selected for this programme and the management and I would like to congratulate as well as commend Kalum Disnaka for his achievement. Having had seven years of prior experience in the field of Human Resources Management, Kalum continues to excel in performing his duties as well as display a high level of competency and commitment to his job. He has proved to be exceptionally capable at human resources leadership and management, no doubt a result of his experience and knowledge in the field." 

The scholarship offered to Disnaka by the NIPPON-KEIDANREN International Cooperation Center (NICC) through the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC)  is awarded to one Sri Lankan per year and provides the selected candidate with the opportunity to participate in a seven month long workshop in Japan.

Having initially joined Suntel as assistant manager, employee services in April 2006, Kalum was promoted as the manager of employee Services. Kalum  obtained his B.Sc in Special Human Resources Management (Second Class Upper)  from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and is currently completing his M.Sc in HRM. He is also an Associate Member of the Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka.

NIPPON-KEIDANREN International Cooperation Center (NICC) is an organisation which extends their support to develop and strengthen employers' organisations, thereby improving interaction between managers and the employers in developing countries based in Asia with a view to  contribute to ongoing economic growth in the associated countries.

First Lankan at helm of Toastmasters'

The first Sri Lankan to ascend to the level of District Governor, Toastmaster's International Movement was appointed recently at the South Asian Toastmasters' Convention held in Bangalore.

"The Toastmaster's District 82 has come a long way since the first partnership between India and Sri Lanka, which were then territorial councils, was penned in 2004. We started with three divisions at Ovation 2006 in Colombo and then expanded to five divisions in 2007.   Now the Toastmasters movement in this District will be expanding to nine divisions.  This growth of 300% in two years is phenomenal. But it is only the beginning of a mammoth challenge to empower people by equipping people with the right skills in this region," Arunasalam Balraj said following his unanimous appointment as District Governor of District 82, during Ovation 2008 in Bangalore.

After having served as a "provisional district" for two years, 2008 is the first time that both India and Sri Lanka together have become a fully fledged toastmaster's district. This would pave the way for both Indians and Sri Lankans to compete at the Prestigious World Champion Speaker Contest and open doors for better knowledge sharing with access to global experts and more learning modules.   

Balraj aims to establish 50 new clubs throughout India and Sri Lanka within the next year.

"Our main target area is the young adults who are graduating from universities or coming out of schools. Those above 18 years of age who have an average knowledge of English but do not have a platform on which to horn their communication and leadership skills are the ones who can benefit most from the unique educational approach of Toastmasters," Balraj said.

"We have also expanded to the 12- 18 age group with gavel clubs. There is tremendous potential in this age group and it is important to invest in them to build a future work force that is already equipped with the necessary skills," he added.

According to Balraj what is unique about the Toastmaster's movement is that when compared to the international setup which provides learning skills TM is one of the most cost effective programmes you can get into and its effective philosophy of learning by doing it.