A BUSINESS Process Mnagement (BPM) executive and an educator have emphasized the importance of training teachers in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics as the next step towards progress.
According to Aseem Roy, country manager of Wipro Philippines Inc., there is a need to enhance the educational system of the country and train students, who are the future workforce, in the areas of cybersecurity and data analytics, among others.
“The foundations of most developed countries today lie on the training part, not just the training of the students but the training of teachers, which is very important,” he said during the virtual CIB.O 2021 Transformation Summit on Monday, July 12, 2021.
Roy said there should be more investments geared towards education, particularly for the trainers and teachers.
“They are the bedrock of what to expect in the years to come. We should focus on that,” he said.
For Roy, one teacher has a lot of potential to influence a larger population.
“They are the force multiplier on how many careers and how many lives they can change,” he explained, citing the growing demand for cybersecurity, AI, Internet of Things, cloud, automation and other high-value tech careers.
Data science and AI
Meanwhile, Dr. Erika Legara, renowned physicist and educator, emphasized the importance of training the teachers on data science and AI.
“A lot of companies are now looking for these talents. And it’s not just the data analytics part but really the talent about translating the analytics to the language of the enterprise,” she said.
Legara said many of the trained analysts don’t speak the language of the business and are more focused on tech and data.
“That’s where the problem also lies. A lot of companies invest a lot of money, but then they forget what is the strategic imperative of the organization and how AI, how all of this technology, can help in meeting strategic objectives,” she said.
In May 2021, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) launched the national AI roadmap. It made the country one of the first 50 countries in the world to have a national strategy and policy on AI.
The DTI aims to ensure that the Philippines will benefit from the rising AI industry, which is estimated to increase worldwide gross domestic product (GDP) by 14 percent by 2030 or an infusion of US$15.7 trillion into the global economy.
“The country’s AI roadmap will position the Philippines as an AI center of excellence and a big data processing and analytics hub providing high-value data analytics and AI services to the world. This will be our next high-value service-winner after BPM, “ said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez in a statement.
The roadmap lays down the strategic imperatives and tasks of the government, industry and the academe.
One of its main recommendations is the private sector-led establishment of the National Center for AI Research, which will serve as the country’s shared hub for AI research to support the digital transformation of the country’s enterprises and industries. (JOB)