Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT), a pioneer in providing globally renowned higher education in the disciplines of Information Technology and Business in Sri Lanka, recently held its annual Careers Day with the participation of leading multinational, FMCG and IT companies.

Since the institute’s inception in 1990, IIT has produced over 3000 graduates that are empowering nearly 200 organizations across the globe. IIT graduates have a 100% employment assurance due to its strong academic foundation and industry exposure provided to its students.

IIT Careers Day was organized with the objective of providing an opportunity for their graduates and students to obtain employment and internship opportunities at some of Sri Lanka’s leading companies.

This year’s Careers Day was attended by over 300 students and graduates of the institute and included the participation of 39 leading IT and multinational companies. Some of the key industry leaders who were present at the event included Millennium IT, VirtusaPolaris, WSO2, John Keells Computer Services, Informatics International, Dialog Axiata, Cake Labs, Creative Solutions and other leading multinational FMCG companies.

Career Day presented students with a unique opportunity to meet some of the Senior Management Leaders and Human Resources Teams of these leading corporate organizations on a one-to-one basis, and to be briefed by these organizations on a wide range of career opportunities on offer. The event was a success not just in terms of introducing students to career opportunities available to them, but also because of the positive feedback received from students as well as participating organisations, who viewed this event as a recruitment opportunity.

The leading companies which were present noted that the primary reason for their presence over the years was the high calibre of the IIT students – who were superior in both technical and soft skills. Several companies in particular commended IIT for including a mandatory one-year industry placement (internship) as part of its degree, observing that the real-world exposure gained by the students as a result was a crucial differentiator which empowers these students to be in-demand in the job market.

Head of HR of Cake Labs – Shiran Weerakone said that the company was taking part at the event to continue its long-standing relationship with IIT and that many of the members of the company’s leadership team were IIT alumni. “We have observed that IIT students are well-rounded in terms of both technical competency and soft skills,” he said.

Head of Talent Acquisition of VirtusaPolaris – Krishan Gunawardena noted that to maintain the company’s growth, it was on the lookout for top-notch technical talent. “We feel that IIT students are well-geared to add value in the areas in which we operate,” he said.

Stating that WSO2 has been participating at the IIT Careers Day for several years, Pramila Rajapaksa, Director HR of WSO2, commended IIT on including a one-year internship in its degree programme to enhance the competencies of its students. “The students of IIT meet the high calibre of the professionals employed by WSO2,” she said.

Head of HR of the IT Sector of John Keells – Niresh Samaranayake noted that the company had continued to witness the high quality of the IIT students over several years it had participated at the Careers Day. “The internship period being one year presents sufficient time and a win-win proposition for both the companies and the students,” he said.

Dialog Axiata Senior Executive (Product and Services Innovation) – Shafraz Rahim observed that the company is participating at the IIT Careers Day for the first time this year and were motivated to do so due to the strong performances and competency of the graduates produced by the institute.