Federation of IT Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS) announces:

Mini Infotel exhibition for Jaffna

The Mini INFOTEL Jaffna - the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Exhibition under the theme of “Re-awakening with ICT” will be held from February 26 to 28, at the Vembady Girls High School with the objective of promoting ICT in the northern region.

TiGO will be the pinnacle sponsor of the largest ICT Expo to be held in Jaffna.

This was announced at the press conference convened by FITIS (Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka) held at the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka recently.

The Mini INFOTEL exhibition in Jaffna will also feature an ICT career guidance program for northern youth. The ICT career guidance program is supported by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and the Ministry of Education.

A bicycle race sponsored by TiGO will be held in conjunction with the Mini INFOTEL Exhibition to increase awareness and encourage participation at the event.

“We are pleased to sponsor the Mini INFOTEL exhibition in Jaffna which is an important event added to Sri Lanka’s ICT calendar. The Mini Infotel event in Jaffna will help to increase awareness of ICT amongst the northern youth” CEO Dumindra Ratnayake said.

“The Infotel bicycle race will no doubt add color and excitement to the Infotel in Jaffna” he said.

“We are delighted to have TiGO as the pinnacle sponsor of the INFOTEL Exhibition in Jaffna” Acting Chairman - FITIS A. Jayaseelan said. “The ICT Agency (ICTA) has always been supporting our initiatives, and we are pleased that the Mini Infotel Jaffna career guidance program is being supported by ICTA.

FITIS aims to develop ICT and entrepreneurial skills among northern youth and promote information technology ventures in Jaffna” he continued.

“The INFOTEL Exhibition in Jaffna will help to integrate the northern youth into the mainstream society and development process by equipping them with the necessary IT skills to face the challenges of a modern world” said Chairman of INFOTEL Society (Lanka) Ltd and Colombo University School of Computing (UCSC) Director Dr. Ruwan Weerasinghe.

With the aim of developing the ICT skills of northern youth including those under rehabilitation programs, the training chapter of FITIS together with the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation will conduct English and Information Technology training programs at Thelippala and Vavuniya rehabilitation centers in parallel to the Jaffna Infotel Exhibition.

FITIS will also assist the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation to raise funds from the private sector to build ICT training facilities in Thelippalai, Welikanda, Vavuniya, and Mirisuvil rehabilitation centers. In order to enhance the entrepreneurial skills of youth undergoing rehabilitation, FITIS - in collaboration with Ichiban Consultants of India - will conduct entrepreneurship and training programs to encourage innovative thinking, helping them to speedily and successfully re-integrate into society.

“The FITIS programs will help in the process of successful integration of the youth undergoing rehabilitation into the society as these programs intend to provide means for reintegration as well as inculcating important life skills and enhancing career skills” said the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Major General Daya Ratnayake who initiated the rehabilitation programs with FITIS.

“The proposed addition of IT related training facilities at the rehabilitation centers will help us to speed up the process of training in ICT related areas, English and entrepreneurial skills so that the youth participating in these rehabilitation programs can be successfully reintegrated into society,” Major General Ratnayake said.

The Jaffna Infotel will bring together leading IT companies in Sri Lanka - both local as well as multinational - with over 50 exhibitors participating in the ICT Exhibition. A special one day luxury tour by land for the inauguration ceremony and site seeing excursions too will be organized for executives and senior management who participate in the opening ceremony of the Jaffna Infotel.

Arrangements have also been made to conduct a series of lectures on ICT usage in SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) sector parallel to the Mini Infotel 2010 exhibition.