At the Wadhwani Foundation Welcome Reception held at Yuchengco Museum, Makati City, President & CEO Dr. Ajay Kela shared that their free AI-powered platform equips Filipino learners with in-demand job skills and trains educators in AI-driven career counseling.
Wadhwani Foundation, a private philanthropic institution, offers a 24/7 mobile-first AI-powered skilling platform called Wadhwani GenieAI that includes multiple AI Co-Pilots to bridge critical gaps between education and employment in the Philippines.
The platform provides free career counseling tools and teacher training. The Foundation also offers grants of up to $1 million annually to organizations, supporting sustainable job creation and workforce upskilling.
A recent survey by the Foundation revealed that only 10% of K-12 graduates immediately enter the job market. While 83% pursue university education, only 25% of these university enrollees graduate from higher education institutions. The survey further showed that the remaining 75% who leave university without completing their degrees eventually join the workforce.
Meanwhile, 1.5% of the graduates venture into entrepreneurship, while 5.5% fall into the “Not in Education, Employment, or Training category.” These factors contribute to job instability and low wages.
“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.”
The Foundation collaborates with over 60 partners across the Philippines, reaching 22,000 students through AI Co-Pilots. It helps 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 PH
To boost job creation in the Philippines, the Wadhwani Foundation, through its grant-making arm, Wadhwani Charitable Foundation (WCF), also offers grants of up to $1 million annually to high-impact organizations.
“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 their impact, enabling us to reach 1 million lives by 2030 and provide more Filipinos with job opportunities for a better future.”
WCF seeks organizations in the country focused on job fulfillment or creation with a proven track record of scaling impact. Ideal partners operate within a $1-5 million budget and demonstrate strong leadership in their sector.
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.