UnionBank, AIM team up for technology initiatives

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines has inked a P32.4-million partnership with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) to jointly develop initiatives on technology, innovation and digital skills to provide more Filipinos with advanced skills in a post-pandemic labor market.

The donation dubbed as‘Tech Up Pilipinas Fund’ would serve as a vehicle to align with the parties’ common objectives of building the capabilities of people to innovate through digital learning programs.

There has been a rise in demand for skills and talents in these fields as industries all over the world adapt to the change brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

Michelle Rubio, chief human resource officer at UnionBank, said the bank wants to help students and young professionals adapt to the volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous world.

“We are honored to partner with AIM so both our organizations can leverage our respective innovation and digital strengths to future-proof the skills of many of our people,” Rubio said.

UnionBank’s donation complements a bigger undertaking of the Aboitiz Group’s School of Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship.

The fund covers a portion of the bank’s P100-million contribution to ASITE (which forms part of the Aboitiz Group’s $10-million overall ASITE contribution) that is committed over the next five years and is seen to also boost AIM’s position as the best in data science in Asia and strengthen UnionBank’s program to build the skills of the future by training Filipinos in data science, blockchain, machine learning and information technology, among others.

Jikyeong Kang, president and dean of AIM, said it would work together with UnionBank on specific innovation areas.

“With the intake we have for the courses being supported by UnionBank, we can see that the school will be one of the most sought-after learning institutions in the region,” Kang said.

The infusion of UnionBank’s donation would boost AIM’s commitment to training future-ready leaders who can create, develop, and sustain new engines for growth as industries begin to rebuild in the aftermath of the global health crisis.

The tie up would pursue joint research activities, fund a data science chair program, provide financial assistance for students, sponsor capstone projects, conduct talent pooling, and provide career counseling and job fair programs.

With UnionBank’s Tech Up Pilipinas sustainability program, the bank is leveraging on its digital transformation capability to make inclusive prosperity, sustainable finance and digital transformation happen by co-creating innovative solutions for a better world.