Much like the rest of the world, many working women and men across the Philippines felt uncertain about their jobs, their livelihoods and ability to prepare for the future of work amid the global pandemic. Some employers, however, responded to work stoppages by providing their workers with flexible training opportunities and a chance to upskill and better prepare for changes expected in their industry.   

Since April, the ILO has been assisting partner companies in the Phillipines deliver in-demand skills training to their workers online. An initiative of the ILO’s Women in STEM programme, the pilot e-learning offering aims to provide women with critical soft and technical skills to help women gain quality employment and support career advancement of women, particularly in the sectors requiring STEM skills.  Available modules cover a wide range of topics including creative thinking and innovation, problem solving, collaboration, and leadership – with more online learning content on the way as demand increases.

Thus far, over 60 participants (mostly women) have gained from the pilot online sessions with positive reviews. The ILO’s unique peer learning and activity-based approach typically makes for a highly engaging and interactive in-person experience with participants actively discussing, sharing and solving practical exercises in small groups. Given readily available conferencing technology, participants can now follow lesson content wherever they are using the ILO’s newly adapted learning tools and engage with each other via online breakout rooms.

Approximately 300 participants across three major partner companies in the Philippines are expected to finish the e-learning pilot by the end of the year. Login [link] to the Peer Learning for Enterprises Hub for available lesson content or get in touch with us for more information on delivering soft skills training in your company, either in-person or online. The ILO’s Women in STEM programme is supported by the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation.