Tan Jee Toon, Managing Director for IBM Vietnam introduced their programmes to help prepare Viet Nam’s future workforce. — VNS Photo

IBM Vietnam will offer new online resources for teachers and students to learn the foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) for free to prepare the next generation of leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to adopt AI responsibly in Viet Nam.

A new study by IBM and Morning Consult found while teenagers are aware that skills like AI and data science will change their careers, they feel woefully unprepared to work with these technologies. A majority (68 per cent) of the K-12 students surveyed believe AI will have a big impact on their life and career, but more than a third (34 per cent) said they did not feel properly equipped to use it.

The first is the deployment of the AI and robotics training programme introduced in collaboration with STEAM for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ha Noi University of Science and Technology (HUST) and the Institution of International Experience Education and Society Health (IES). Virtual train-the-trainer workshops in basic AI skills for 126 teachers from 63 provinces were held recently. The workshops equipped teachers with the basic approach, workflow and application of AI. It is expected to benefit at least 1,200 students nationwide.

For the second, in collaboration with the School of Information and Communication Technology (SoICT) of HUST, IBM will continue to expand to phase 2 of the New Collar programme. By leveraging IBM’s learning platform, SoICT will introduce Cloud education in its existing ICT curriculums. The programme will be delivered through a series of workshops for researchers, lecturers and students in 10 technical universities across Viet Nam.

Also in December, IBM will collaborate with the IES, SoICT and local Departments of Education and Training in Ha Noi and Thanh Hoa Province to promote Open P-TECH, IBM’s global education initiative. For six months (until April 2021), the target is to teach 5,000 students at age of 14-20, who will register to Open P-TECH.

“IBM is committed to helping prepare Viet Nam’s future workforce for business and social progress that is being driven by technologies such as cloud and AI,” said Tan Jee Toon, Managing Director for IBM Vietnam.

“There is a widening gap of digital skills, especially in AI, between Viet Nam and high-income nations, according to the 2020 Global Talent Competitiveness Index. By introducing these programmes, we believe that the students will get the right foundation and will be able to use and apply these emerging technologies creatively. This is a significant step in preparing our students for the digital era, creating jobs in the digital economy, helping businesses in Viet Nam grow with digital transformation and fulfilling Viet Nam’s Industry 4.0 vision,” he added. — VNS