LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, has formed a strategic partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines to address the nation’s educational and workforce challenges.
This partnership aims to provide over 200,000 public school teachers with scaled access to LinkedIn Learning courses, mapped to the Philippines Professional Standards for Educators.
This initiative will help teachers develop critical competencies in areas including creative thinking, data analytics, and digital skills as the country undergoes rapid digitalization accelerated by AI. This will empower teachers to stay relevant, become more productive and efficient in daily tasks, and deliver a higher quality of education in the classroom.
Beyond upskilling educators, DepEd will also leverage LinkedIn Talent Insights (LTI) to shape and inform curriculum design, particularly for Grade 11 and 12 students. This data-driven approach will ensure that classroom pedagogy aligns with in-demand skills and competencies, to better guide and prepare job-ready graduates to enter the workforce.
“The Philippines is facing significant challenges in addressing teacher distribution and a shortage of nearly 90,000 educators[1]. The global pandemic underscored the need for ongoing teacher support and training to deliver quality education in diverse and remote learning environments. Our partnership with LinkedIn enables DepEd to establish robust professional development programs for teachers beyond one-off training initiatives,” Sonny Angara, Secretary of Education, Department of Education Philippines, said.
“By leveraging LinkedIn’s global insights and comprehensive LinkedIn Learning course offerings, we can provide educators with the tools and the data-driven resources to close skill gaps, improve competencies, and drive meaningful change in classrooms nationwide.”
Setting Job-Ready Graduates Up for Success in a Rapidly Changing World of Work
With over 1.1 billion members globally, including 16 million in the Philippines—LinkedIn has a unique view into how work is changing at an unprecedented pace. Its recently launched Work Change report projects that the skills required to do a job in the Philippines will change by 70% by 2030, accelerated by AI. In fact, 10% of workers hired in 2024 hold job titles that didn’t exist in 2000—in a new AI-driven era of work, roles like AI Engineer, Data Scientist, Sustainability Manager, Social Media Manager, and Customer Success Manager are now commonplace.
The growing demand for AI-related competencies is clear: 68% of Filipino leaders would hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills, than a more experienced candidate without them[2]. However, with AI’s potential to automate more routine, everyday tasks—business leaders are also recognizing the importance of soft skills; skills that set people apart to innovate and collaborate in ways technology cannot. In the Philippines, six of the top 10 growing in-demand skills are soft skills, with writing and critical thinking being the most in-demand skill, followed by problem solving, leadership, and interpersonal skills[3].
“AI will continue to drive up the value of skills as it becomes relevant to every job in the future and woven into many tasks. But as we integrate this technology into daily work, human skills like communication, creative thinking, and leadership will become even more critical,” Feon Ang, Managing Director, APAC at LinkedIn, said.
“Our focus is on equipping educators with the technical and soft skills that reflect this shift. By partnering with the Department of Education, we aim to empower educators to lead this transformation and prepare the next generation of graduates with the skills and in-demand capabilities they need to thrive in an evolving world of work.”
Helping High School Students use LinkedIn to Connect to Opportunity
Against this backdrop of skills transformation, DepEd also plans to roll out “LinkedIn 101” training to senior high school students, ensuring they have the right know-how to optimize their profiles, build a professional network, and leverage the world’s largest professional platform to land job opportunities.
These training programs, conducted in partnership with LinkedIn, will guide students on effectively highlighting their skills, achievements, and experiences to potential employers. This will empower fresh graduates to boost their visibility to recruiters, stand out in an increasingly competitive job market, and connect to economic opportunity.
“This partnership reflects DepEd’s commitment to elevating educational standards and LinkedIn’s role as our trusted partner in upskilling the Philippines’ workforce. By preparing educators and students alike for the evolving job market, we can collectively empower the next generation of Filipino professionals to thrive in an increasingly dynamic and competitive landscape,” Angara concluded.
[1] GMA News Online: DepEd lacks nearly 90,000 teachers
[2] Microsoft x LinkedIn: Work Trend Index 2024
[3] LinkedIn: Global Talent Trends Southeast Asia Edition 2024
