U.S. Government Provides 750 Scholarships to Youth in the East and North

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded 500 scholarships in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to youth in the North.

Earlier, USAID/Sri Lanka, the development agency of the U.S. Embassy, provided ICT scholarships to 250 young people from the East. The scholarships will provide the recipients with the skills needed to meet current workforce demands.

USAID, in a partnership with Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential Partnership (UPP) program, developed computer-based ICT curricula to address the workforce needs in the agriculture, apparel, media, and tourism sectors.

Rebecca Cohn, USAID Mission Director said, “These four sectors account for about 39% of all jobs in Sri Lanka, and ICT skills are critical to succeeding in these areas. These scholarships from USAID will enable the youth to find jobs and participate in the country’s economy. That benefits the students, the communities, and Sri Lanka.”

Infoshare, a local non-profit organization, designed the curriculum and IDM, an ICT academy, delivered the training through its national affiliates. Although the UPP initiative is ending, another USAID project will use the curricula to train an additional 10,000 youth throughout the East.
Harshi Hewage, Infoshare’s UPP Project Manager, said, “With the end of the war, we have an opportunity to bring development initiatives to the North and East. Infoshare is dedicated to enhancing social development of this region through the use of ICT.”

Dr. Bandu Ranasinghe, IDM chairman, said “IDM, Sri Lanka’s premier ICT Academy, understands the importance of human resource development. I appreciate the good work USAID and Microsoft are doing for the socio-economic development of the country. It is a privilege to collaborate with such organizations.”

- Asian Tribune -