Wadhwani Foundation, a private philanthropic institution, has recently unveiled Wadhwani GenieAI, a 24/7 mobile-first AI-powered skilling platform with various AI Co-Pilots to bridge critical educational and employment gaps in the Philippines. The platform provides free career counselling tools and teacher training. It also offers grants of up to $1 million annually to organizations, supporting sustainable job creation and workforce upskilling.
The Foundation recently conducted a survey revealing that only 10 per cent 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. According to the survey, the remaining 75% of students who leave university without completing their degrees eventually enter the job. Meanwhile, 1.5% of graduates pursue entrepreneurship, while 5.5% are “not in education, employment, or training.” These factors contribute to employment insecurity and low wages.
Dr. Ajay Kela, president & CEO of Wadhwani Foundation, said:
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. 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 providing educators training to deliver AI-driven career counselling.
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.
Angela Chen-Delantar, vice president for Skilling of Wadhwani Foundation, added:
We are looking for nonprofit organizations, enterprises, and academic institutions that share our vision to boost job creation for the 21st-century workforce. 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 fulfilment or creation with a proven track record of scaling impact. Ideal partners operate within a $1 million to $5 million budget and demonstrate strong leadership in their sector.
Aside from the annual funding, the Foundation 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 programme 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.
Founded in 2001 by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, the Wadhwani Foundation accelerates job growth and improves lives across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Foundation, which has a global presence, has been focused on a simple, strong mission: to accelerate employment creation and enable millions of people to earn a family-sustaining salary and live dignified lives. It is positively impacting the lives of millions of individuals across multiple countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America through its four core initiatives: entrepreneurship, skilling, innovation & research, and government digital transformation.
