AI, language training to address skills gaps in PHL labor market — MMDC

MAPÚA MALAYAN Digital College (MMDC) said it is expanding its micro-credential programs with courses in English proficiency and artificial intelligence (AI) to help Filipino workers address skills gaps in the technology-driven labor market.

- By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

The upcoming courses will focus on training and exam preparation for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), certification for English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors, and an introduction to AI, MMDC Chief Learning Officer and Ayala Education Co-founder Derrick Latreille said in an interview with Business World.

“As technology disrupts the labor market faster and faster, people need quicker, more nimble ways to skill themselves up and move into better-paying jobs and better careers,” Mr. Latreille said.

“We've gotten overwhelming demand for ESL, so we're going to offer a micro-credential certification to qualify someone as an ESL instructor,” he added.

MMDC will also offer micro-credential courses for those taking the IELTS, particularly individuals aiming to work, study, or migrate to English-speaking countries, he said.

Meanwhile, its AI certification course is intended to help learners transition from basic to advanced use of AI technologies.

“We’ve put together an AI micro-credential [course] from multiple providers that addresses the awareness gaps people have around which AI [tools] they need to know, and the skill gaps,” Mr. Latreille said.

By September, MMDC will also implement a more affordable pricing scheme in response to public demand, he said.

“We saw that people wanted lower, more broken-down prices. So, starting in September, all our courses will cost no more than P5,000 to get started,” Mr. Latreille said. “The modules that follow will usually be about P1,000 to P3,000.”