Calcey, a boutique software development services provider catering to global clients from Sri Lanka, celebrated the graduation of the first batch of students from its groundbreaking Calcey Springboard program. This initiative equipped deserving students from non-technical backgrounds with the skills needed to build a career in the tech industry.
A learning experience which blends digital and in-person methods
What separated Calcey Springboard from traditional academic programs is that it not only provided each learner with a fully funded scholarship including devices (where necessary) and access to premium MOOCs from institutions such as Harvard University, GeorgiaTech and others, but also provided an in-person guided learning experience. Members of Calcey’s own engineering team stepped up to serve as mentors for the program and worked closely with learners to help them progress.
Nushrath, a graduate of the Springboard program, reflected on her time as a learner. “This is one of my greatest experiences, being here at Calcey learning technical and soft skills. I used to think that I’m not confident enough to work and be a part of an industry. But after enrolling in Calcey Springboard, my learnings through the curriculum and the mentors’ guidance helped identify my skills. Now, I’m confident enough to face an interview and be a part of the industry.”
“As a mentor, it’s been incredibly rewarding to witness the progress of these students over the last year. Watching them develop their skills and confidence has been truly inspiring and reaffirms the value of mentorship. For me, as a professional, working with these eager minds has been a refreshing and invigorating change of pace”, said Manujitha, a mentor and a senior software engineer at Calcey.
Quality, relevance, and academic rigor were also an inherent part of Springboard. Calcey’s own engineering leaders were involved in designing the curriculum and conducting exams for the students every semester.
Highlights from Springboard
A stepping stone to a better future
Calcey has welcomed eight of the graduates into their team (five are currently interning as engineers, while three are interning in quality assurance). Additionally, eight more graduates have secured internships and job opportunities elsewhere in the industry. A few remaining students have chosen to complete their tertiary education programs, and seek a job in the industry subsequently.
Mangala Karunaratne, the Co-Founder and CEO of Calcey, reflected on what the occasion meant to him.
“Setting up Calcey nearly two decades ago was essentially a bet we took on the quality of Sri Lankan engineering talent, and it paid off well. If you think of that as a withdrawal we made from the society around us and the universe or the world at large, Springboard is our way of making a deposit and giving back. We built a platform for hardworking individuals to change their destinies for the better, and it’s great to see these 23 individuals benefiting from it.”
“I would also like to extend appreciation for industry figures such as Pete Deemer, Harsha Purasinghe, Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Anna Kalm, Bhanuka Harischandra, and Randhula De Silva, who helped us with the program and came forward to address the students by taking time off their busy schedules. Their contributions provided an extra element of variety to the program,” he added.
While celebrating its first batch of Springboard graduates, Calcey remains dedicated to investing in the future of Sri Lankan tech talent. The company also supports a range of other initiatives aimed at promoting tech education and has partnered with organizations such as the Karuna Trust to do so. In addition to a computer lab at the Maharagama YMBA, Calcey is a patron of an IT education program in Padaviya in the Anuradhapura District with 340 students.
Highlights from the Springboard Graduation Ceremony