The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority has launched a free training on artificial intelligence (AI), with a kickoff ceremony held at STI West Negros University in Bacolod City April 29.
Over 3,000 individuals are expected to benefit from the agency’s Readiness Training Program from April to December this year, highlighting Tesda’s commitment to equip the workforce with competencies aligned with global industry demands, and in support of the government’s vision of building a future-ready, digitally-empowered Filipino workforce.
“Through this new training, we are opening doors for our learners to participate meaningfully in the digital economy and secure better futures for themselves and their families,” Tesda Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez said in a Philippine News Agency report.
The program introduces specialized courses under the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), including Data Collection and Annotation (Data Science/Artificial Intelligence) Level II, AI Prompting for Automation Level III, and Data Analytics Level III, designed to prepare learners for careers in the digital and AI-driven economy.
The training is open to Filipino citizens at least 18 years old by the time they complete the training, have finished at least 10 years of basic education or hold an Alternative Learning System (ALS) Grade 10 certification, physically and mentally fit, able to communicate in basic English, both spoken and written, and possess fundamental computer skills, the Tesda said.
Returning overseas Filipino workers, displaced workers, unemployed individuals, and out-of-school youth are priority applicants, it added.
In Bacolod, 50 scholars participated in the initial training rollout, with 25 enrolled in AI Prompting and 25 in Data Collection and Annotation.
The initial batch includes persons with disabilities, OFWs, solo parents, and other priority beneficiaries, the university said in a post, adding this reinforced “STIWNU’s role as a training hub that expands access to future-ready digital skills for diverse sectors of the community.”
Atty. Monico Jacob, president and CEO of STI Education Systems Holdings, in his message during the launching at the Teodoro Hall of the university, said that “people are the country’s greatest asset” as he encouraged everyone “to continuously upskill, embrace lifelong learning, and remain relevant in a rapidly-changing world.”
The AI training is also available in Aklan, Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Cebu, General Santos City, Isabela, Manila, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Laguna, Leyte, Las Piñas, Pampanga, Quirino, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Tarlac. ||
