Major tech firms vow to train 20 million Southeast Asian workers

Some of the world’s major technology firms, including Google and Microsoft, have vowed to develop and improve the digital skills of the workforce in Southeast Asia by 2020.

This is to ensure that the region’s burgeoning working-age population of some 20 million workers will be ready for future employment.

The pledge is part of the World Economic Forum’s “ASEAN Digital Skills Vision 2020” initiative. It aims to improve the technological capacity of 20 million workers in Southeast Asia and equip them with digital skills and opportunities over the next two years.

This comes at a critical juncture when robots and automation threaten to take away the livelihood of those without digital skills, even in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Other companies pledging training include Grab, Sea Group, Cisco, Tokopedia, and Lazada.

The aim of the pledge is to establish a regional movement among businesses committed to empowering technological savvy individuals. It also aims to address the employment and skilling challenges caused by Industry 4.0.