MANILA — In a recent interview, Aileen Judan-Jiao, President, and Country General Manager of IBM Philippines, announced the company’s commitment to training two million individuals in artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on under-represented communities. This initiative involves collaborations with the government and other universities.
The training will be facilitated through IBM’s SkillsBuild platform, a free education program designed to assist adult learners, high school and university students, as well as faculty, in developing new skills and accessing career opportunities.
SkillsBuild, accessible online from any device, offers 1,000 courses in 20 languages covering AI, cybersecurity, data analysis, cloud computing, and various other technical disciplines. Aileen Judan-Jiao emphasized the importance of inclusivity and accessibility, describing the platform as “bite-sized.”
With the World Economic Forum predicting that around 85 million jobs could be replaced by AI, Judan-Jiao stressed the significance of preparing for AI-related roles.
The partnership began with the training of teachers at the City College of San Fernando, and discussions are underway for potential collaborations with the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Department of Labor to upskill students and workers.
(ai/mnm)