Tictag, Hatch tap AVPN's AI Opportunity Fund to train marginalised groups in AI
[SINGAPORE] When non-profit organisation AVPN surveyed 3,000 respondents, it found that only 15 per cent of them have taken part in artificial intelligence (AI) skill programmes, while 57 per cent were unaware that such resources exist.
However, about 91 per cent said they are keen to learn AI-related skills – especially as AI is expected to contribute US$3 trillion to Asia-Pacific's gross domestic product, noted Moutushi Sengupta, senior adviser at AVPN.
She added: 'Routine tasks – from scheduling to compliance checks – are increasingly being automated, while new roles are emerging in areas such as AI governance, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.'
Therefore, AVPN launched the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, supported by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank. Forty-nine organisations across the region have been selected to receive funding and guidance from this US$15 million initiative.
Although the fund was initiated last year, the chosen organisations were announced only in early May.
The fund aims to train and upskill groups of workers in AI, as part of a three-year programme. Marginalised communities, such as migrant workers and persons with disabilities (PWDs), will benefit.
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AVPN worked with its strategic partners, such as AI Singapore, to develop localised AI training programmes based on Google AI Essentials, said Sengupta.
With this fund, AVPN has adopted a train-the-trainer approach to reach a larger pool of beneficiaries.
'By equipping organisations with the resources to deliver localised, language-specific AI training, we enable them to deliver this knowledge directly to their own communities. This approach ensures the training provided is relevant, accessible and deeply rooted in local contexts, while also multiplying its impact and reach beyond what any single organisation can achieve alone,' she added.
Upskilling for local communities
The two organisations chosen from Singapore were Tictag and Hatch. Both operate in the AI and digital space, running upskilling programmes for local communities.
In an interview with The Business Times, Kevin Quah, co-founder and chief executive of Tictag, said: 'We want to be able to foster inclusive AI development by not only involving people within the AI economy, but also providing foundational AI skills training to different communities that have unmet needs across Asia-Pacific.'
With this particular fund, Tictag aims to 'deliver more accessible AI-focused training modules' to migrant workers, teaching skills such as data management and collection. These foundational skills can enhance their employability, enabling them to pursue entrepreneurship or higher-paying roles.
'Migrant workers might not see AI in action in their day-to-day jobs. We want to expose them to the larger AI ecosystem and give them the skills they need to hopefully enrich their own communities – not just here, but also back home,' Quah said. 'One of the gaps we identified was that migrant workers expressed a desire to learn other skills besides their jobs.'
Tictag works with different social service organisations to reach migrant workers from various sectors, including domestic workers. So far, it has collaborated with 16 such organisations to train more than 200 individuals, including migrant workers, PWDs and refugees.
Meanwhile, Hatch uses digital tools to help underserved communities upskill, and runs training and employment programmes. Since it was founded in 2018, it has trained more than 1,400 individuals and has an 87 per cent job placement rate.
Hatch uses digital tools to help underserved communities upskill. PHOTO: HATCH
With the AI Opportunity Fund, the social enterprise hopes to help a broader range of beneficiaries, including women returning to the workforce, senior workers with limited digital exposure, and PWDs. It collaborated with AI Singapore to develop and customise the curriculum.
Yeoh Wan Qing, co-founder and chief product officer of Hatch, said: 'AI changes a lot of things in the digital sector – processes are now shorter and faster. We wanted to help because the groups that we work with fall behind (as) they are not ahead with their skills.'
She added that many of Hatch's beneficiaries are employed in industries that are 'quite prone to being automated because of the AI revolution', such as administration. Teaching AI skill sets will help them be more efficient at work.
'We've decided to customise a certain part of the curriculum into applications for different sectors – coming up with more use cases on how they can see these skills being applied in their own work and daily lives,' Yeoh said.
Those who require moderate support such as early career workers can tap Hatch's AI Readiness Program Core Track, a structured online learning programme; while those who require additional guidance and accommodations such as PWDs can tap the AI Readiness Program Enhanced Support Track.
In the fund's second phase, Google.org will commit an additional US$10 million to AVPN for AI upskilling initiatives to support micro, small and medium enterprises in South-east Asia.
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