Responding to various reports published in recent times on the increasing demand for ICT professionals, the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the largest degree awarding institute in the field of ICT recognised by the University Grants Commission under the Universities Act, has come to the fore. SLIIT provides education befitting every professional level, from Diploma to Postgraduate Studies, and the programmes are structured, according to SLIIT MD/CEO Prof. Lalith Gamage, to provide entry and exit points depending on each student’s requirement.

Edexcel, the UK awarding body, provides real value for SLIIT students by validating the SLIIT Diplomas in IT, Information Systems and Computer Networks with the Edexcel (UK) BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND), which allows students access to over 100 universities in the UK, Australia and the US to complete their studies.

The Edexcel BTEC HND Diploma has allowed over 60 students in the last two years to transfer to Sheffield Hallam University and at the last graduation ceremony of the University, nine of these students graduated with first class honours and almost all graduated with a class.

The validation from Edexcel has also opened a new avenue for students who wish to graduate from Sheffield Hallam University. The students who complete the HND now have the option of partially completing the final year of the degree programme here in Sri Lanka – four months at SLIIT and then transferring to Sheffield Hallam University to complete the remaining subject units of the degree final year.

Edexcel, a Pearson Company, is the UK’s largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to more than 25,000 schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in Sri Lanka and in over 100 countries worldwide
Prof. Gamage is confident that this validation is what helps SLIIT attract most of their students, and the fact that they do so well when competing with UK students is an indication of the quality of the programme. Faculty and facilities have prompted the Institute to offer a Business Management Degree in partnership with Edexcel from Sheffield Hallam University for a cost of about 10% of the cost of following the programme in the UK, providing true value education. Prof. Gamage is also confident that their relationship with Edexcel will grow stronger in the future as they are to introduce qualifications in the fields of telecom and electronics.