Youth must develop unique skills amid AI

An educational technology firm expects more schools in the country to enhance communication and other soft skills of Filipinos following a huge shift to artificial intelligence-backed jobs in the US.

“More Filipino students are pursuing skills-based education to remain competitive and align with the evolving demands of the current job market. Leveraging the power of micro-credentials, institutions can offer short courses and certifications on soft skills like leadership, communication, negotiation, stress management, or emotional intelligence that can be valuable to any career,” Global Academic Strategy Instructure vice president Ryan Lufkin said in an email to DAILY TRIBUNE on Sunday.

Instructure’s technology called Canvas Learning Management System allows schools to easily design courses and teach them through online platforms for fully digital or hybrid classes.

77% eager to learn

Instructure’s 2023 survey shows 77 percent of the Filipino youth desire to learn new skills, while 68 percent aim for career advancement. To achieve these goals, 48 percent of the respondents said they are willing to take certificate courses while 39 percent are interested in apprenticeships.

“With robust learning management systems, institutions can foster interactive learning and facilitate activities that help students experience and practice problem-solving, decision-making, and effective communication in simulated work settings, for example,” Lufkin said.

The survey results reflect the need of foreign employers for flexible worker skills as artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT take over routine tasks, such as writing simple email messages.

In the US, Boston Consulting Group reported 76 percent of jobs there have changed since 2019 as workers continue to find employers requiring one new skill out of five.

Leveraging the power of micro-credentials, institutions can offer short courses and certifications on soft skills like leadership, communication, negotiation, stress management, or emotional intelligence that can be valuable to any career.

As a result, data from professional networking platform LinkedIn shows 91 percent of learning and development leaders now value soft skills more.

It adds the 10 most desired employee skills are related to management, communication, customer service, leadership, sales, project management, research, analyses, marketing, and teamwork.

In the Philippines, Instructure has partnered with Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines, and University of Santo Tomas to help Filipinos develop soft and online learning skills.

Instructure organized CanvasCon Philippines 2024 held last Friday at Grand Hyatt Manila in Taguig City to discuss the future of learning institutions and labor force in the country.