Go
for IT
If you are looking for a place to get
a professional IT qualification that is up-to-date on world standards,
BCS is the place to go to. Randima Attygalle has more
Since
its inception in 1957, the British Computer Society (BCS) has been
maintaining the highest standards of professionalism as the industry
body for IT professionals and a Chartered Engineering Institution.
It is also a founding member of the Council for European Professional
Informatics Society. (CEPIS) Ranging from Affiliate, AMBCS, Student,
MBCS, Chartered IT Professionals, Fellow and Chartered Engineer
and other external qualifications, membership of BCS extends to
nearly 50,000 IT professionals in over 100 countries including Sri
Lanka.
The
Sri Lankan branch of the British Computer Society, initiated in
1996, is geared to enhance the local IT industry, and improve the
quality of IT professionals.
“The
membership of BCS has increased more than three folds over the past
few years, and performance by local students has been very satisfactory
proving that we have enormous IT potential to offer the industry,”
said Niranjala Weerasinghe, Regional Officer of British Computer
Society in Sri Lanka.
Reputed
as the only Chartered Engineering Institution for IT professionals
that can award an internationally recognised professional qualification,
BCS offers a flexible package of courses, allowing a student to
demonstrate individual skills at a chosen level, and progress at
a pace appropriate to them. “Flexibility is one of the fundamentals
at BCS. Irrespective of one’s academic background or professional
competency, a student can enroll at BCS, provided that they have
a basic idea of computer operations and a good command of English,”
explained Ms. Weerasinghe.
BCS professional examinations
Founded on a modular structure, BCS offers three levels of examinations
- Certificate, Diploma and Professional Graduate Diploma. These
courses are available in a variety of formats to suit individual
needs, including part-time.
“If a student feels comfortable at a higher level of an examination
such as Diploma, for instance, they get exempted from the Certificate
level. This flexibility is granted for the convenience of students,
who are relatively conversant in the subject as a tool of time saving.
Especially those who are employed in IT-oriented jobs are comfortable
at higher levels,” explained Ms. Weerasinghe, adding that
exemptions are, however, granted on assessment of a student’s
qualifications and experience by British Computer Society in UK.
The
Certificate level
This is designed for candidates educated to UK GCE A/Level
standard, and at least 19 years old. This examination consists of
a two-hour written paper on each of the three compulsory modules:
èInformation
Systems
èSoftware Development
è Technology
The BCS examines the Certificate stage to the academic level of
the first year of a Higher National Diploma. Those who successfully
complete this stage will be securing ten academic points, and become
eligible to apply for Associate Membership (AMBCS).
The Diploma level
In addition to the two-hour written paper on the compulsory
core module, Professional Issues in Information Systems Practice,
a candidate is expected to sit a written paper on each of three
modules chosen from a prescribed list of courses (for courses refer
to www.bcs.org/exams), and present the Professional Project (Diploma
level), if they wish to finish the studies at the Diploma point.
Those who wish to pursue higher studies may go on to the Professional
Graduate Diploma.
Those
who complete the Diploma secure 20 academic points towards Professional
Membership of BCS, and are eligible to apply for MBCS if they possess
three years of work experience as an IT professional.
The Professional Graduate Diploma
This qualification is equivalent to a university honours
degree, and consists of a three-hour written paper on each of the
four modules chosen from the prescribed courses, plus the Professional
Graduate Diploma Project. Alternatively, a candidate can take the
Professional Graduate Diploma by submission of a dissertation.
Course providers
“It is important that a student selects a course-provider
that is accredited or accepted by the British Computer Society,
and we at the Regional Office of Sri Lanka are always at their disposal
in guiding them,” said Ms. Weerasinghe. Currently the four
main course-providers for local students of BCS are:
èE Soft Pvt. Ltd.
èIDM
èRoyal Institute
èMercantile Institute of Information Technology Pvt. Ltd.
Professional grades and membership grades
In addition to Professional examinations, BCS also offers an array
of professional and other grades of membership, eligibility for
which is determined by experience, academic and vocational qualifications
and age.
The
professional grades
èAssociate Member (AMBCS)
èMember (MBCS)
èFellow (FBCS)
Other membership grades
èCompanion (CompBCS)
èStudent
èGraduate
èAffiliate
èBusiness Affiliate
èEducational Affiliate
èSchools Affiliate
European Computer Driving License (ECDL)
This
is an internationally recognised qualification for computer users
of all standards, irrespective of the industry. ECDL, which is rapidly
becoming the ‘industry standard’ for computing skills,
can be obtained by the local course provider for it, Gateway International
School.
Postgraduate studies
“Upon the completion of the BCS Professional Graduate
Diploma and professional project, a student has a choice of over
35 prestigious universities in UK to pursue postgraduate studies
such as a MSc in IT,” says Ms. Weerasinghe, adding that a
considerable number of local students are currently pursuing their
postgraduate studies in IT in the UK.
Young professionals
“After completing my A/Levels, I chose BCS to gain
my first higher educational qualification through E Soft Pvt. Ltd.,
and within a short period of two years, it helped me obtain a qualification
equivalent to a British Honours Degree, saving money as well as
time to build up my career as a young IT professional,” said
Tharindu Amarasekera, President of the BCS Student Group for 2005/06,
currently serving Ultimax Pvt. Ltd as a Software Engineer.
According
to Tharindu, a professional qualification of this nature is instrumental
in securing sound job opportunities in the competitive IT industry.
“IT has become an integrating industry without which many
other industries cannot excel, and BCS caters to all industry-relevant
topics such as Networking, Programming, Software Engineering, etc.
to ensure that a student is fully fledged to utilise knowledge in
practical situations,” explained Tharindu. He also stressed
that a BCS qualification is the ideal professional base for the
busy professional who has to manage work, family and studies.
Talking
about the ‘practical lessons of life’ imparted to a
student through a BCS qualification, Tharindu adds, “Practical
issues, arriving at ethical judgments and decision-making in risky
environments are inherent facets of my job, which I cope with in
confidence thanks to BCS’ training, and peer-learning was
another invaluable skill I gained.”
Expansion
According to Ms. Weerasinghe, about five percent of students
consist of local students out of BCS’ global student base
of around 50,000. “Demand for BCS qualifications is accelerating
each year, and we hope to expand our services to outstation areas,”
she said, adding that a number of new IT components such as IT Service
Management, Software Testing, IT Consultancy Practice are in the
pipeline to give a wider choice to the IT professional.
Educational fairs
BCS annually participates in the UK Education fair organised
by the British Council. (An exhibition is planned for March 4, 5
in Colombo and March 7 in Kandy).
For more information
The British Computer Society (Sri Lanka Branch),
No. 51, Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 7.
Phone: 4736741
Websites: www.bcs.org and www.bcssrilanka.org
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