ABOUT 15 out-of-school youths (OSYs) of Cagayan de Oro City will undergo a six-month course on artificial intelligence (AI) that will ensure their immediate employment, Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy said on Monday.
‘There’s no school or university in Cagayan de Oro City that’s offering this course. So this is (a golden opportunity for you) and you are already given uniforms, meals and allowance so you won’t have any excuses not to attend classes. That’s why I’m telling both the scholars and their parents not to waste this opportunity,’ Mayor Klarex said in Visayan to those attending the flag-raising program in Barangay Bayanga.
The pioneer batch of beneficiaries taking up the AI course are undergoing training In a facility near one of the city’s malls, Mayor Klarex said. The facility is provided by Thor Turrecha, a Kagay-anon developer hailing from Barangay Canitoan who worked in various IT companies abroad and is lending his expertise to the program that will be expanded in the upcoming City Community College project, Mayor Klarex said.
The development and use of AI, often associated with machine learning, is a fast growing field that’s projected to automate manual labor and low skill office jobs in the country and the world in the next few years. AI use was especially pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when customer interaction was restricted online to minimize human contact.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in 2021 that AI will become the next BPO industry that is projected to add $92 billion in revenue and employment in the country’s economy in 2030.
In his message Turrecha said the six-month AI training course offered by City Hall is a first for the country’s public schools since AI entails four years of study and covers expensive equipment.
“Our commitment is to see to it that these youths will be immediately hired. There’s no point in training them if they cannot secure immediate employment. This is just the start because by June we will train an additional 50 and by next year when the City College is completed we can train hundreds more not only on AI but 3D design. We will diversify into other technology-related careers,” Turrecha said in Visayan to the crowd in attendance.
Job generation for Kagay-anons and building an investment-friendly climate are among the cornerstones of the Klarex administration’s RISE development agenda.
Speaking in behalf of Mayor Klarex during Monday morning’s flag-raising program, City Administrator Roy Hilario Raagas said a BPO company called Qualcomm signified its intention to set up shop in the city by June.
“Qualcomm has offices in the cities of Cebu and Dumaguete. They visited City Hall because they saw the city’s economic potential and the wide market in this part of the country. They also saw the substantial number of graduates that they can employ which is why we’re working to attract more investors like them to provide jobs for our Kagay-anons,’ Raagas said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
