THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) said it has launched a free training on artificial intelligence (AI), with a kickoff ceremony held at STI West Negros University in Bacolod City.

Over 3,000 individuals are expected to benefit from TESDA’s Readiness Training Program from April to December this year, the agency said in a news release.

The program highlights TESDA’s commitment to equip the workforce with competencies aligned with global industry demands and supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of building a future-ready, digitally empowered Filipino workforce that can compete globally and benefit from the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Through this new training, we are opening doors for our learners to participate meaningfully in the digital economy and secure better futures for themselves and their families,” TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez said.

TESDA said this program introduces specialized courses under the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), including Data Collection and Annotation (Data Science/Artificial Intelligence) Level II, AI Prompting for Automation Level III, and Data Analytics Level III, designed to prepare learners for careers in the digital and AI-driven economy.

Training is open to Filipino citizens who are at least 18 years old by the time they complete the training, have finished at least 10 years of basic education or hold an Alternative Learning System (ALS) Grade 10 certification, physically and mentally fit, able to communicate in basic English (both spoken and written), and possess fundamental computer skills.

Returning overseas Filipino workers, displaced workers, unemployed individuals, and out-of-school youth are priority applicants.

TESDA, meanwhile, said 50 scholars from Bacolod City participated in the initial training rollout, with 25 scholars enrolled in AI Prompting and 25 in Data Collection and Annotation.

The program is being done in partnership with AMA Education System and STI College, along with other partner institutions nationwide.

The AI training is available in Aklan, Bacolod, Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Cebu, General Santos City, Isabela, Manila, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Laguna, Leyte, Las Piñas, Pampanga, Quirino, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Tarlac. (PNA)