ONLINE  learning is now the norm to gain new knowledge and skills without risking the health of students and educators. However, going fully digital poses risks and threats to online learners. In partnership with the Foundation for Professional Training, Inc., Globe has trained 113 teachers and student mentors as ambassadors in promoting responsible internet use through the Digital Thumbprint Program.

DTP was developed in 2016 by Globe in partnership with regional telcos Optus (Australia) and Singtel (Singapore). It is a series of workshops aimed to increase students’ knowledge of digital citizenship and cyber safety, by taking a critical look at their online behavior and helping them develop insights into the influences of the online world and the choices they are making.

Through DTP, Globe and FPTI hope to give the educators and students a clear understanding of the risks of accessing malicious content or platforms and provide guidance on how to conduct themselves online to complement existing online security protocols or settings in place.

FPTI provides scholarships to underprivileged women aged 16 to 21 through its 2 year senior high school programme – tech voc track which trains and forms job-ready graduates for the hotel and restaurant service industry through its three schools – Punlaan School, Anihan Technical School, and and Banilad Center for Professional Development.  It includes training in skills with accreditation (National Certificate II) from Technical Education And Skills Development Authority and job placement assistance.

“The best way to keep our learners safe is to empower them through information. Knowing the risks present online and how to protect themselves make them informed decision-makers especially in navigating the digital space. We see the youth utilizing connectivity as a tool to achieve their goals, and we hope they will continue to enrich themselves through these resources safely,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.

The pandemic severely hit the catering, recreation, and hospitality industries which are where FPTI’s students are employed after graduating from the two-year program. Given the situation, FPTI was quick to widen its networking among other related business types that had job openings to fill: food outlets with outdoor seating and strong take out sales and bakeries among others.  Furthermore, students were given additional entrepreneurship training to encourage them to start their own small home based cooking and baking businesses.

Despite the quick pivot to online learning, FPTI realized that there is also an urgent need to strengthen the digital skills of teachers and instructors to enable them to identify, address, and avoid the risks present in the current digital space. Although policies are in place to ensure students’ online safety, understanding the risks and how to mitigate them is key to staying safe online.

“FPTI is steadfast in applying all possible protection available to keep students safe online, but it is equally important that students themselves advocate online protection. By understanding how the issue affects the students directly, we hope to influence their behavior in ensuring they are responsible online citizens,” said Charlene Ching, Foundation for Professional Training, Inc. Partnerships Manager.

Globe and FPTI entered into a partnership last year (and renewed for 2021) where the telco provided connectivity support through prepaid call cards for 160 FPTI students to transition to digital and distance learning.

The company strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 4 on the provision of quality education and UN SDG No. 9, highlighting the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.

To learn more about Globe’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/about-us/sustainability.html.