TO help boost women empowerment in the new normal, PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) has partnered with social impact start-up Connected Women for technology upskilling and livelihood opportunities for Filipino women across the country.
With the goal of training over a thousand women by 2021, Connected Women’s Elevate AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation) program offers online skills development and remote work opportunities in the artificial intelligence industry. Backed by UN Women, the 75,000 member-strong organization launched ConnectedWomen.ai to provide a talent pool for businesses worldwide while creating an impact for Filipino women and their families.
After the online classroom course and on-the-job training, Connected Women facilitates job matching and placement on projects with a variety of global clients. Connected Women Founder Gina Romero explained that the rapid growth of the online job market is creating more opportunities for women, which is why many of Connected Women’s programs focus on digital upskilling and digital marketing. Artificial Intelligence Data Labelling market is expected to hit $1.6 billion by 2025 and has created jobs that need humans to perform tagging, classification, moderation and image processing tasks for AI.
Smart’s partnership with Connected Women is aligned with the commitment of its parent company, the country’s largest integrated telco PLDT, to support the 17 Sustainable Goals of the United Nations, particularly in promoting decent work and economic growth, as well as upholding gender equality.