Education

A value added Diploma in a year!

In a dynamic world one requires multi skills to survive and grow and not be confined to a specific discipline.

Synergy School of Marketing pioneered the entry of CAM (Communication Advertising and Marketing) a Diploma in Marketing Communications, offered by the CAM foundation in association with CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) UK.

The Diploma which was redesigned to include two assignment based assessments and three exam based modules is a six month programme, if a student were to take up all five modules in one sitting. In this sense it is an international communication based Diploma which could be completed in six months.

The primary sectors which have taken to this programme are the advertising and media industries with modules designed to expose the candidates to the intricacies of these industries.

'The CAM Diploma is a unique qualification for those working or wishing to work in Marketing Communications. It links all the main disciplines of the industry such as PR, Advertising, Integrated Media, Direct Marketing and Sales Promotion and Marketing and Consumer Behaviour.

A student that qualifies with the CAM Diploma in Marketing Communications understands how those disciplines work together to improve performance and lead to success within a business' said Education Manager of The CAM Foundation UK Marialena Zinopoulou.

The panel of lecturers for the programme is headed by Stanley Carvalho, Executive Director, Grantt Mccann Ericsson and a veteran in the advertisng industry and also includes Peter Solomon of Grantt Mccann Ericsson and Michael Ranasinghe, Director and Senior Lecturer of Synergy.

Commenting on the value of the CAM diploma Carvalho stated that "We are today in a fast evolving Knowledge Economy and knowledge, without doubt, is the key to competitive advantage.

Knowledge is what the CAM professional course is all about. Being on the Panel of Lecturers for CAM at the Synergy School of Marketing I can say this with confidence. Having spent a greater part of my professional career in advertising, I am convinced that the Ad Industry here can do with a stronger knowledge base.

As such I recommend the CAM professional course for those who wish to make a career in advertising". He further added that "Advertising, in itself, is a challenging discipline and the knowledge that CAM imparts will give one the competitive edge. This is the essence of the Knowledge Economy. Professionalism is the name of the game and CAM gives you the opportunity to acquire it. Don't miss out".

The programme delivery itself has been designed to ensure that it strikes a balance between weekday evening and weekend lectures to aid those who are employed.

Apart from those looking to specialise in the field of marketing communications, there has been great interest shown by pass finalists of CIM to take on this Diploma as a topping up qualification which would make them more versatile in the different roles they are called upon to play in the field of marketing.

CAM has gone through the transition phase of adapting to the Sri Lankan professional education market and is now set to take off with the commencement of the new sessions in June.

'Future Minds' at BMICH

In Sri Lanka almost 90 per cent of schoolchildren complete Grade 11, the grade that marks the end of the senior secondary school, but only 37 per cent of those qualify at the GCE (O/L) examination proceed to Grade GCE (A/L) the collegiate years. Despite countless debates on the plight of the school leavers for decades, no concrete solution has been introduced by any authority.

A recent World Bank report estimates the net tertiary eduction enrolment in Sri Lanka to be about 11 per cent, with 2.4 per cent in public universities, 1 per cent in public technical education and the rest (8.5 per cent) attending various private institutions.

This clearly exemplifies the growing competition that each school/university pass-out faces.

This is further indicated by the growing eduction market and the frequent eduction exhibitions across the country.

This emergent culture not only provides exposure to wide range of courses, degrees and post graduate opportunities but they even provide other facilities such as insurance policies, bank loans and counselling required for visa and travelling.

In this context, eduction exhibitions help students and parents immensely as they provide all necessary background information under one roof in a comparative environment.

Objective

The overarching objective of the "Future Minds" is to prepare the Sri Lankan youth for the rapidly globalising future and a demanding employment environment.

"Future Minds" facilitates communication amongst the students, parents, teachers, higher education institutes and the private sector to provide various avenues so that the students are able to plan their future effectively.

Further, it provides an excellent opportunity for the Eduction Institutes - irrespective of whether they are local or international - to showcase their products and services to school leavers and people who seek professional training and higher eduction in various fields.

"Future Minds" ventures into its third successive exhibition, to continue its services in keeping with its original vision to prepare Sri Lankan student community for a highly competitive globalised market.

Programme

This year too "Future Minds" Mega education exhibition will be held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Exhibition Hall from 27th to 29th June from 10 a.m. onwards.

By taking into account the availability of space and the growing demand from the last year stall-holders and newcomers, organisers would like to increase the participation up to 175 stalls form diversified educational sectors. As last year, the exhibition centre will be organised in such a way where visitors can easily gather the necessary information.