Salesforce to train 185 women in the Philippines under Ayala Foundation’s U-Go Scholar Grant, to bridge skills and gender gap
Salesforce, the AI customer relationship management (CRM) platform and global technology company, today announced a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ayala Foundation, the social development arm of the Ayala group of companies, to equip more women in the Philippines with digital and CRM skills.
Under the partnership, Salesforce will facilitate online workshops and digital skills learning for 185 Filipino women between the ages of 18 to 24. These women are recipients of the U-Go Scholar Grant, a joint initiative by Ayala Foundation and education start-up U-Go to help Filipino women from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue higher education in order to increase female representation in the workforce.
The World Bank predicts that by 2050, an increase in female labor supply by 0.5 percentage points per year can increase GDP per capita in the Philippines by almost 10 percent. Salesforce’s partnership with Ayala Foundation aims to empower Filipino women with skills needed to participate in the digital economy. A study by Asian Development Bank and LinkedIn found that six of the last 10 candidates hired in the Philippines were required to possess basic digital literacy and skills, and two of the last 10 hires required advanced digital skills.
Salesforce will be conducting the training via bi-monthly virtual workshops covering topics including data access and security best practices along with reporting and dashboards. Participants will also use Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform, to access curated learning modules, and develop critical skills for the future around AI, data and CRM at their own pace.
Through the training, the women can also tap on Salesforce solutions for various digital applications. Specifically, they will learn how to manage and configure Salesforce tools in order to understand and qualify data; design dashboards and reports to present data effectively; and identify data security and user access best practices.
Upon completion of training, participants will be awarded a Salesforce Admin Super Set credential, which will allow them to pursue jobs as a Salesforce Administrator, and open pathways to other Salesforce roles such as developer, architect, or business analyst in the future.
“Salesforce is committed to addressing both the digital skills and the gender gap in the Philippines, ensuring that the local workforce has equitable access to education, skills training, and career opportunities. We believe that building a diverse talent pool is at the heart of creating a foundation for resilient businesses in the Philippines, and will go a long way towards realizing the country’s digital ambitions,” said Sujith Abraham, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Salesforce ASEAN. “Together with Ayala Foundation, we are proud to be empowering Filipino women with the skills necessary to take on jobs in the growing digital economy – to deliver better outcomes for all.”
Salesforce has commenced training for the first and second cohorts of Ayala Foundation’s U-Go Scholar Grant’s 185 recipients at the end of September, with plans to train more women in the future through subsequent cohorts.
Ayala Foundation President Tony Lambino also highlighted that Ayala Foundation believes that all Filipinos, including young Filipino women, should be able to choose to complete their education and thrive in the digital economy. “Together with Salesforce and our other partners, we are dedicated to strengthening the U-Go program and broadening pathways to success for a more equitable tomorrow.”
