Managing Director of Netflix Asia-Pacific Yu-Chuang Kuek (thirrd from left) and representatives from the World Economic Forum pose together with Minister of Communications and Information Nguyen Manh Hung (fourth from left) to mark the signing of the WEF ASEAN Digital Skills Pledge. — Photo courtesy of Netflix
Netflix on Friday signed a partnership deal with the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Digital ASEAN working group to help people and governments in Southeast Asia develop creative and digital skills useful in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The pledge is part of WEF’s ASEAN Digital Skills Vision 2020 programme, a public-private project involving a coalition of organisations that seeks to train up 20 million workers in digital skills by the end of next year.
“We are partnering with Southeast Asian governments and industry players to support the development of digital creative skills needed in a fast-developing internet entertainment landscape," said Yu-Chuang Kuek, Managing Director of Netflix Asia-Pacific.
"We believe having the necessary skills for the creative industry, being equipped for online safety and digital literacy as well as understanding the principles for an agile governance framework will be integral to the success of initiatives like the ASEAN Connectivity Master Plan."
“Key public-private partnerships like this play a vital role in ensuring societies and governments across the region are equipped with the necessary skills and not left behind in the wake of this technological revolution," said Justin Wood, Head of Asia Pacific and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum.
"This programme is delivering a significant impact. In its first eight months, the initiative has already secured commitments to train 8.9 million workers at SMEs, as well as to provide 30,000 internships."
As part of the agreement, Netflix will start rolling out initiatives focused on three broad areas: creative Industry 4.0 Skills Development, Online Safety and Digital Literacy and Agile Governance 4.0.
Netflix will work with various partners to hold workshops and training courses, which will initially be held throughout the next six months in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, with more under consideration for the future.
The initiative gained further urgency when a recent WEF-commissioned survey of 56,000 ASEAN youths found that 52 per cent believed they needed to constantly upgrade their skills to succeed in a changing job market. On top of that, they ranked “creativity and innovation” as the most important skill for their future. — VNS