A quick google search will tell you that, Pearson is the largest education company on the planet. What it may not tell you is that 8 years ago, approximately 60% of its revenue came from printed materials such as textbooks. Today, the statistics have been flipped with digital content now generating much of Pearson’s revenue. Such a radical shift is simply because technology is reshaping education.
At the helm, you’ll find the team of 800+ IT professionals at Pearson Lanka driving this transformation. “The way we learn is changing. Traditionally it was that the teacher tells you what to study based on the textbook. Now we’re seeing a shift where students share what they want to learn and the teacher provides the content to meet that need. That’s where we come in. We make the lives of teachers easier and students, who no longer need to carry heavy bags to class. Instead, they only need a mobile device,” shares Diyath Ariyaratne – General Manager of Pearson Lanka on this trend.
Currently, Pearson Lanka is the largest Pearson owned Technology Development Center in the world. It’s products serve over 75 million learners from all 4 corners of the planet. Now, the company aims to share what they’ve learned about building such products at its inaugural Tech Summit.
What to expect at the Pearson Tech Summit
Coinciding with Pearson’s 175th anniversary, the company aims to have multiple celebrations over the coming months to mark the occasion. The first of these is the Pearson Tech Summit. Happening on the 29th of October 2019 inside BMICH, it is the largest event to date by the company in Sri Lanka.
At this landmark event, the company aims to share what it has learned over the years marrying technology with education. To that end, there will be a bunch of knowledge sharing sessions featuring speakers from both Pearson Lanka and the wider industry. The topics that will be covered range from Quality Engineering to AI in education to developing innovative products and more.
Additionally, the company would also be hosting Vice Presidents and other leaders from the wider Pearson group at the Pearson Tech Summit. Thereby building deeper relationships and sharing with the local community what’s required in global markets. Finally, the company also aims to showcase to the wider industry, the opportunities it has on offer for talented recruits.
Elaborating on the latter, Mahesh Wanigasooriya – Assistant General Manager at Pearson Lanka said, “We create opportunities for people to build careers. Typically, most people join a company as a junior software engineer then work their way up the ladder. So the organization must provide opportunities for career progression. In turn, that requires the business to continuously evolve. At Pearson, we cover all spheres of the IT industry. Therefore, we’re able to offer multiple opportunities to our employees for career growth. Even if someone wants to go from engineering to project management, we can provide such opportunities.”
With its largest event to date, the company has 3 goals. To showcase its knowledge and products, form deeper relationships with the wider IT industry, and share its opportunities as a top employer. So if you’ve already registered for the Pearson Tech Summit, make sure to be there at BMICH on the 29th. But as Pearson celebrates its 175th anniversary, this is merely the beginning. In the coming months, the company aims to host more such events, sharing its knowledge. So be sure to stay tuned for more.