In a bid to bridge critical gaps between education and employment in the Philippines, a private philanthropic institution recently launched a 24/7 mobile-first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered job skilling platform.

Wadhwani GenieAI, created by Wadhwani Foundation, offers free career counseling tools and teacher training.

“Our free AI-powered platform provides access to in-demand job skills that address the gaps in the school-to-work journey of K-12 students in the Philippines,” said Dr. Ajay Kela, President & CEO of Wadhwani Foundation.

“We are excited to collaborate in the Philippines to leverage AI-driven solutions that empower students, improve public services, and generate jobs,” Kela added.

Kela cited a survey recently conducted by the Foundation, noting that only 10 percent of K-12 graduates immediately enter the job market.

While 83 percent pursue university education, only 25 percent of these university enrollees graduate from higher education institutions.

The survey further showed that the remaining 75 percent who leave university without completing their degrees eventually join the workforce.

Meanwhile, 1.5 percent of the graduates venture into entrepreneurship, while 5.5 percent fall into the category of “Not in Education, Employment, or Training.”

Kela added that various factors "contribute to job instability and low wages."

The Foundation currently collaborates with over 60 partners across the Philippines, reaching 22,000 students through AI Co-Pilots.

The initiative seeks to help students build in-demand job skills and make informed career choices, while also providing training for educators to deliver AI-driven career counseling.

Boosting job creation in Phl

To boost job creation in the country, the Wadhwani Foundation, through its grant-making arm, Wadhwani Charitable Foundation (WCF), offers grants up to $1 million (approximately P57.9 million) annually to high-impact organizations for work upskilling.

"We are looking for non-profit organizations, enterprises, and academic institutions that share our vision to boost job creation for the 21st-century workforce," said Angela Chen-Delantar, Vice President for Skilling of Wadhwani Foundation.

“Our funding will help them expand impact, enabling us to reach 1 million lives by 2030 and providing more Filipinos with job opportunities for a better future,” she added.

WCF seeks organizations in the country focused on job fulfillment or creation, with a proven track record of scaling impact.

Aside from the annual funding, WCF provides comprehensive support to partner organizations, including access to the GenieAI platform for job creation, skilling, and placement, and opportunities to collaborate with the Foundation's global network, leveraging expertise in program management and impact measurement.

The funding initiative is also offered in other emerging economies with large and growing youth populations such as Mexico, Brazil, and Indonesia.

The Wadhwani Foundation, a non-profit tech organization founded in 2001 by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, is dedicated to accelerating job growth and improving lives across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.