ComBank partners with SLT Campus and Cisco to offer IT hardware course in select schools
Students in grades eight to ten in selected schools can now benefit from a comprehensive 150-hour IT hardware course funded by the Commercial Bank of Ceylon and implemented in collaboration with SLT Campus (Pvt) Ltd. and Cisco Networking Academy.
This course was launched as part of the Bank’s Online Education programme conducted as a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative.
The ‘IT Essentials’ course has been initially launched at the Wevita Maithri Maha Vidyalaya in Bandaragama and Agamathi Balika Vidyalaya, Panadura, and covers the fundamentals of computer hardware and software, and advanced concepts such as security, networking, and the responsibilities of an IT professional.
A globally accepted ‘Cisco IT Essentials’ certificate will be presented to the students who successfully complete this course.
While the Commercial Bank of Ceylon bears the costs of accredited IT instructors to conduct the courses, Cisco provides the course content, holds exams, and manages the issuance of certificates free of charge and SLT Campus delivers IT courses.
The course will enhance skills related to selecting and installing the appropriate computer components to build, repair, or upgrade personal computers; installing and performing management and maintenance of Windows operating systems; configuring computers to communicate on a network; configuring devices to connect to the Internet and Cloud services; installing and sharing a printer to meet requirements; implementing basic host, data, and network security; and troubleshooting advanced hardware and software problems.
Furthermore, the course will explain how to correctly use tools and work safely in a lab; how to perform preventive maintenance and troubleshooting on personal computers; how to use, configure, and manage laptops and mobile devices; and how to configure, secure and troubleshoot mobile, OS X, and Linux operating systems.
Commercial Bank has also previously partnered with Cisco Networking Academy to offer an ‘IT Essentials’ course for teachers and students free of charge. It also supported the ‘IT Essentials-Instructor’ certificate course for teachers at the Cisco Networking Centre at the University of Moratuwa under this programme.
The Bank has donated 175 IT Labs to schools under its flagship IT education initiative and is a partner in the government – private sector ‘Smart Schools’ project, currently encompassing 65 schools in the Western Province. Commercial Bank has also made substantial investments to develop the curriculum for all age groups for this programme and has developed an online learning portal called Sipnena to benefit students.
Cisco Networking Academy helps individuals prepare for industry-recognised certifications and entry level information and communication technology (ICT) careers in every type of industry. Students will earn foundational competencies in ICT while acquiring vital 21stcentury career skills in problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.
The only Sri Lankan Bank to be ranked among the world’s top 1000 banks for eight years consecutively, Commercial Bank operates a network of 263 branches and 782 ATMs in Sri Lanka. The Bank has won more than 30 international and local awards in 2016 and 2017 and 20 international awards in the first eight months of 2018.
Commercial Bank’s overseas operations encompass Bangladesh, where the Bank operates 19 outlets; Myanmar, where it has a Representative Office in Yangon and a Microfinance company in Nay PyiTaw; the Maldives, where the Bank has a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake; and Italy, where the Bank operates its own money transfer service.
