- Microsoft, JA Asia Pacific and CloudSwyft partner to launch skilling program in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines
- The program aims to involve over 60,000 participants from across Southeast Asia including 20,000 of which will be from Thailand
- Participants will gain access to webinars, lab assessments and online mentorship, in addition to the training from the career track of their choice
- Digital credentials are provided to participants who successfully complete the course
Bangkok, 30 March 2021 – The world’s largest youth serving NGO, JA Asia Pacific, and a leading cloud-based learning platform provider, CloudSwyft, have forged a new partnership with Microsoft to launch a skilling program aimed at enhancing digital skills and employability in the region. The partnership and program are an extension of the on-going Microsoft Global Skills Initiative (GSI), which was launched last year to address growing employment challenges resulting from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The program will see joint efforts between JA Asia Pacific, CloudSwyft and Microsoft in helping to reskill, cross-skill and upskill significant portions of the young adult population, especially in underserved communities across the region, including Thailand.
“Business and organizations all around the globe have transformed, adopting new technologies to continue operating under unprecedented circumstances brought forth by Covid-19,” said Mr. Dhanawat Suthumpun, Managing Director, Microsoft (Thailand). “But this is not limited to just digital transformation, as we have also seen an evolution in the roles and responsibilities of employees working within an organization. Digital skills have become infused in many of the jobs available today, necessitating upskilling and reskilling to ensure employability and continued success in any given career. We are proud to partner with JA Asia Pacific and CloudSwyft, to continue bringing much needed support and development to talent in Thailand and in Southeast Asia.”
Ms. Arpaporn Skunkittiyut, Senior Cloud Solution Architect (Data & AI), Microsoft (Thailand), said, “Data is an essential element of every organization since facts, statistics, figures and trends are considered fundamental factors that impact business decision-making process. Therefore, data scientists are required to be equipped with digital skills to help them gain knowledge and understanding in a broad range of areas, from business planning, data structuring, to learning how to utilize tools for data analysis. These skills are extremely vital for them to stay competitive in their careers and reduce the employment gap in these difficult times. We are certain that data scientists will become one of the careers in high demand in the future.”
The program is projected to involve over 60,000 participants from across the region within the first year, 20,000 of which will be from Thailand. These participants will begin their training with an orientation via webinars, introducing them to career paths involving digital skills, data science courses as well lab assessments by CloudSwyft, to assess learning and understanding – all of which will be conducted virtually. These courses are also offered in local languages, easing the barrier to entry and make it more accessible to everyone.
Participants who complete the orientation will then receive digital credentials, certified by CloudSwyft, JA Asia Pacific and Microsoft, for them to showcase on their leverage on their professional portfolio and on their LinkedIn profile. Once the orientation is completed, participants can select the learning path of their choice based on five different career tracks, namely data analyst, data scientist, development operations, software developer and IT support. Each career track provides between 10 to 20 hours of training, whilst also providing participants with access to one hour of online mentoring in Thai language. Once the course is completed, participants will receive another digital credential, certifying completion of the career track of their choice and acknowledging their newly learnt digital skills. All digital credentials offered under this program will be personalized with the participant’s name, and is accredited by Microsoft, CloudSwyft and JA Asia Pacific.
“As an organization dedicated to empowering and preparing youths for the jobs of the future, we understand the hurdles that many people are facing today when it comes to employment and employability,” said M.L. Pariyada Diskul, Executive Director of Junior Achievement, Thailand. “We share a common goal with our partners Microsoft and CloudSwyft, in that we want to continue empowering and grooming local talent for the jobs of the future. With 2021 signifying a fresh start for many, we hope to provide more avenues for those who need help to find the support they need through skills training or through mentorship, and ultimately find success in their career.”
Also commenting on the partnership from Dann Angelo De Guzman, Founder and CEO of CloudSwyft. “Part and parcel of every person’s professional growth is upskilling. It is never a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’, and for many – the time is now. As the battle against Covid-19 rages on, more and more organizations are turning to technology to mitigate the disruption caused and continue operating under the given circumstances. These technologies are intended to sustain businesses, but it can only do so effectively with the right talent on-board. In addition to providing crucial digital skills training to communities in Thailand, our skilling program will be invaluable in supporting business and economic growth, preparing a future ready workforce to catapult the nation to future success.”
This program will run in tandem with Microsoft’s existing skilling partnership with LinkedIn Learning and GitHub, which provides a multitude of free professional courses and materials online.