SLIIT Business School’s Soft Skills+ 2025 Empowers Tomorrow’s Leaders

For the 11th consecutive year, the SLIIT Business School successfully hosted Soft Skills+ 2025, reaffirming its commitment to equipping school students with the personal and professional competencies essential in today’s dynamic world. This year’s edition featured a blend of interactive workshops and a highly anticipated interschool quiz and creativity competition, attracting participation from schools across the country.

Held on the 3rd of May 2025 at the SLIIT Main Auditorium, the event catered to students in Grades 11 to 13 from all streams of study including Commerce and Sciences. The teams were drawn from State, Private, and international schools. Designed to fill the soft skills gap often left unaddressed in traditional curricula, the program focused on building leadership, teamwork, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills among senior school students.

The event was graced by Mr. Bandara Rekogama, Director of PMF Finance PLC, as the Chief Guest, highlighting the growing recognition of soft skills in the corporate sector.

Several student workshops were held as a part of the program. A Students’ Workshop, titled “Mastering Soft Skills for a Confident Future”, was conducted by Dr. Nilanga Abeysinghe and provided an engaging in-person session for students at the SLIIT Auditorium. Further, a Teachers’ Workshop, themed “Enhancing Soft Skills for Effective Teaching”, was conducted online on the 24th of April 2025 by Prof. Renuka Herath. Open to school teachers island-wide, the workshop offered practical insights into integrating soft skills into everyday classroom practices. All participants received certificates in recognition of their active involvement.

A central highlight of the event was the Interschool Quiz Competition, which tested students’ knowledge and application of soft skills through two preliminary quizzes and a final creativity challenge. Over 45 teams from 22 schools took part in the live competition, showcasing impressive teamwork, strategic thinking, and enthusiasm. The team from St. Servatius College, Matara were the overall champions, while the first runners-up and second runners up were teams from R/Sivali Central College, Ratnapura.

“Soft Skills+ is more than just an event, it’s an investment in our youth and society,” said Prof. Suren Peter, Dean of the SLIIT Business School. “By equipping students with essential soft skills early on, we build confidence in the students, empower young minds to explore, inquire, learn from others, lead and think innovatively and creatively, to solve problems they encounter in their normal course of work. This skill supplemented by the learning from the degree programme will be instrumental in developing the next generation of business leaders”. As an institution committed to holistic education, SLIIT Business School continues to champion the development of well-rounded individuals, ensuring that its students are not only academically proficient but also equipped with the vital human skills required for success in life and work.