Jennifer Que, Country Head of the leading online English education platform 51Talk, championed the online ESL industry at the 3rd Government Academe Industry Network (GAIN) Convention held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City by sharing how 51Talk has provided over 20,000 livelihood opportunities to Filipinos.
The annual convention brought together leaders, professionals and educators from the government, academe and businesses with the common goal of ensuring global competitiveness of Filipino graduates, and tackling the challenges and opportunities concerning the future of workforce. Talks and discussions centered around theme “The Future Workforce and Graduates for the SMART City Revolution: Towards Global Competitiveness and Human Capital Development.”
As one of the speakers, Ms. Que shared how in just eight years, 51Talk has become the largest online ESL provider globally. “English education via offline schools in China is expensive and limited to main cities. That was the premise why 51Talk was conceived by our Founder and CEO Jack Huang. He also chose Filipinos as the most qualified English teachers for the Chinese audience. I can proudly say that 51Talk has created the workforce of the future through its home-based online English livelihood opportunities,” declared Ms. Que.
Ms. Que also shared how they forged strategic alliances and partnerships with government institutions, industry players, academic institutions and local government units to synergize campaigns and programs toward harnessing local talents and developing smarter cities so more Filipinos can enjoy the benefits of online, home-based opportunities such as becoming an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.
Department of Information and Communications Technology Regional Director Maria Teresa Camba, who also spoke at the convention, attested to 51Talk’s model, sharing how 2,000 English teachers in Region IX have been earning using the platform. “We don’t have big call centers and advanced industries in Zamboanga City but we have a surplus of young, digitally savvy talent. We are able to capitalize on this through trainings and programs that promote ICT-enabled livelihood opportunities,” explained Ms. Camba.
GAIN Chairman Dr. Peter Laurel expressed how forward-looking industries rely on a steady stream of quality graduates and smart cities to thrive. “What 51Talk shared today is a perfect example of how collaborative efforts between the government, the academe and the industry result in tangible and immediate solutions that enable localities to seize digital opportunities that spur economic progress,” added Mr. Laurel.
