Leading Philippine broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has joined hands with the country’s largest, business-led non-governmental organization Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in its bid to help marginalized women, especially mothers, get better employment opportunities through extensive information technology training.

PBSP will provide extensive, module-based coaching, while Converge will administer on-the-job training for mothers enrolled in the program. The module, developed by Accenture (also a partner of PBSP), offers two paths for the beneficiaries: Python/AI and Web Development. Among the topics in the module are cloud concepts, artificial intelligence, java script, as well as Python.

The program begins this March with a minimum of five interns for the first wave of nanays from the program.

“At Converge, we believe strongly in upskilling and capacity-building especially for the least of us; economically, we know that women are put at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing means of livelihood, considering the multiple duties they juggle as mothers and homemakers, at the same time as a productive worker. We’re glad to provide an avenue for these hardworking women to upgrade their skills in ICT, paving the way for better job opportunities in the future,” said Atty. Laurice Esteban-Tuason, senior vice president (VP) and corporate compliance and data protection officer.

Participants will be trained under the guidance of the Information and Technology Department of Converge to reinforce their learnings from the modules they have finished.

“We welcome women’s talents wherever they may come from. At Converge, we believe in equal opportunities and equity,” added Converge VP and head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations Jay-Anne Encarnado.

The interns will come in batches of at least five students with a minimum stay at the company for two months.

In 2023, Converge president Grace Uy launched the Grace Under Pressure: MentorSHE program, a woman-to-woman leadership program that enlists women leaders of the company to train and mentor their female one-downs for a year, in an effort to improve their upward mobility at Converge.

 Nanays-in-IT (NIT) is the flagship upskilling program of Accenture in the Philippines under its Skills to Succeed initiative, aimed at equipping disadvantaged mothers with essential IT skills. As the program’s donor and key partner, Accenture in the Philippines, in partnership with PBSP, provides funding and support to empower participants with digital opportunities, helping them build sustainable careers in the tech industry.

Uniting women for a greener future

To enable women to expand their skills and experiences at Converge, the company recently held a tree-planting activity in Pampanga, enlisting the support of its women leaders and other employees for the effort.

In celebration of Women’s Month, the mentors and mentees from its women’s leadership program, Grace Under Pressure: MentorSHE, led the way in the activity.

Braving the scorching heat, around 30 employees came to plant 1,000 mandarin and coffee seedlings in Sitio Sapangbato, Angeles, Pampanga, supporting the local government’s Watershed Reforestation Program.

“We kicked off Women’s Month with this initiative to not only protect the environment but also demonstrate our commitment to the communities we serve,” said Encarnado, one of the mentors of MentorSHE who volunteered for the activity. “As leaders, we must excel in our professional roles while showing our dedication to sustainability and community welfare.”

 Converge is set to return to the area to plant an additional 1,350 seedlings for the second batch.