IBM to train teachers in analytics

Technology solutions company, IBM, in its quest to have more Filipino “data scientists” is preparing to train teachers in Central Visayas in Analytics courses.

IBM officials have already trained 111 teachers from 32 schools in Metro Manila for the Analytics Courses to be offered in Business and Information Technology students starting this school year.

“We are coordinating with Ched (Commission on Higher Education) for the trainings and, of course, after we have started in Manila we’d like to come down to Cebu where we saw a huge potential for analytics,” said Jay Sabido, IBM R&D head, during the sidelines of the of the ICT/BPO Conference in Radisson Blu Hotel yesterday .

The Philippines is the first country to recognize “data scientists” as a profession that will help make the country more competitive and ready to tap the burst in demand for analytics come 2015, said IBM chief technologist Lope Doromal at the conference.

Doromal said analytics is the next big thing in the outsourcing industry adding that by 2015 about 4.4 million jobs will be created related to analytics and a $160 billion market around the world.

200,000 jobs

Analytics will allow industries and individuals to use available to data to make intelligent, insightful, and impactful decisions to grow their businesses.

“About 200,000 jobs in the United States (of America) by then will require IT skills in analytics,” Doromal said.

In May this year, Ched released a memorandum circular informing academic institutions that elective courses for Analytics will soon be offered as an option for those taking up courses in Business and IT.

The elective courses were designed in partnership IBM.

“Business Analytics for Information Technology Education (ITE) and the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) programs are ready for implementation this school year 2013-2014,” Doromal said.

He said that Business Analytics Specialization Tracks would use an integrated approach and would take into consideration the interrelationships among functional areas of business as well as sensitivity to the economic, social, technological, legal and international environment in which business must operate.

objective

“The objective of the program is not simply to impact basic business knowledge, but to instill and nurture import qualities and skills to the students that are essential for future business leadership and organizational success,” he said.

“These newly-approved specialization tracks on business analytics for ITE and BSBA programs bring us a step closer to preparing our nation to capture and lead in this big global analytics market,” said CHED chairperson Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan in a statement.

schools

Among the first institutions that will offer the course are the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Asia Pacific College, University of Santo Tomas, College of St. Benilde, Universidad de Manila, Jose Rizal University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Batangas State University, Republic Central Colleges and Araullo University of the PHINMA Education Network.

“In Cebu we are looking at training our partners like University of Cebu, University of San Jose Recoletos, Cebu Institute of Technology and Silliman State University in Dumaguete City,” Sabido said.