DOLE, IBM sign agreement to provide free skills training for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — The government is set to boost its free skills training for Filipinos to further rev up their employability, particularly in businesses adopting digitalization.

This is through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) signed partnership with the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), an American technological company that provides information technology products and services.

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Under the agreement, IBM’s SkillsBuild platform will be linked to DOLE’s automated job and applicant matching system, PhilJobNet, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s online program.

Among the courses that beneficiaries may avail of on the SkillsBuild platform are those focused on “digital literacy, customer support, data analysis, and other high-demand skills required in the digital economy.”

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DOLE said that the main objective of the deal is to provide free skills training and micro-credentials to Filipinos.

“With this collaboration with DOLE and TESDA, we hope to enable more Filipinos all over the Philippines with access to employable technology and professional skills on IBM SkillsBuild, and the support they need to upskill and seize the future career opportunity,” IBM Philippines President and Country General Manager Maria Elena Judan-Jiao said in a statement.