ICTA, TCP and SLICTA to implement ICT Workforce Survey 2006

SURVEY: The Sri Lanka Information and Communication Technology Association (SLICTA), membership based apex body of ICT related trade associations and professional bodies in Sri Lanka, in partnership with The Competitiveness Program (TCP) a USAID-funded project, and Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) will implement the first repeated National ICT Workforce Survey - 2006.

This survey is a follow up to the "Geared for Growth" report published by SLICTA in 2005. "Geared for Growth" report is widely recognized in the industry locally and within the membership of the World IT Services Alliance (WITSA) of which SLICTA is the sole representative from Sri Lanka as a key resource for information on the state of demand and supply of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) workforce in Sri Lanka.

The report highlighted overall size and distribution of the ICT workforce, anticipated gaps between supply and demand for the next year, employment opportunities and specific information related to the ICT training institutions in Sri Lanka.

Last year's survey was well received by industry, government, and training institutions, seeing a remarkable response rate of approximately 65%. The same or even higher response rate is expected this time around.

SLICTA, TCP and ICTA encourage all survey participants to contribute to the successful implementation of this survey, by providing up-to-date and accurate information.

Data collection began during the third week of August, and the survey findings will be presented at a National Human Resource Conference scheduled for November 2006. According to Tuan (Jamal) Jamaldeen, Program Specialist at TCP, "The 2006 survey would further bridge the information gap about the demand and supply of workforce in this country and the successful completion of the survey would certainly provide some very useful comparisons for government, ICT human resource employers, and training institutions".

MG Consultants (MGC), a survey specialist in Sri Lanka has been selected by the project management team to conduct the survey. MGC was also responsible for successfully conducting the first National IT Workforce Survey in 2004.

The report will be freely distributed at no charge to all interested parties in early January 2007. Soft copies of the report will also be made available through the partner's websites for free download.