HP Inc. announced plans to open 20 Tech Hubs in underserved communities across Southeast Asia by the end of 2020. The program provides technology and entrepreneurship training for students aged 13 and above, and aims to upskill 10,000 youth by year-end—a goal that maps to HP’s commitment to enabling better learning outcomes for 100 million people by 2025.
Outfitted with 15 to 20 new PCs as well as networking support from HP, the HP Tech Hubs blend classroom and online learning to deliver technical and soft skills essential for youths to thrive. These include Microsoft Office, coding, business communications, having a success mindset, and how to start a small business—taught by instructors or accessible online. Courses in entrepreneurship are adapted from HP LIFE, a free HP Foundation program that offers modules on entrepreneurship, marketing and business development. The students will be awarded certifications for the courses they complete.
“Unprecedented connectivity, new technological breakthroughs—and now COVID 19—have re-defined how we live, work, and relate to one another. HP has a responsibility to play a role in preparing our youths for this new reality. To help them thrive in the new future of work, we need to build up their confidence, impart them the skills, and give them access to equal opportunities,” said Ng Tian Chong, managing director, Greater Asia, HP Inc. “Through the HP Tech Hubs, we equip youths in underserved communities with technical and practical knowledge and aim to inspire them to widen their horizons, be creative, and take the bold step towards new possibilities.”
Six Tech Hubs have already been established in Lombok and Jakarta in Indonesia, as well as Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The remaining hubs are planned in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines by the end of the year.
Enabling better learning outcomes for the future
HP Tech Hubs are part of the company’s broader education initiatives in Asia-Pacific, which has benefited 1.3 million students and adult learners in 2019. These initiatives include:
- HP LIFE: Since its launch in 2016, HP LIFE has enrolled over 214,000 users globally. In Asia-Pacific, over 20,600 learners have accessed HP LIFE curriculum in 28 countries.
- World on Wheels: Since 2017, the World on Wheels (WOW) program has rolled out 43 self-contained, internet-enabled, solar-powered mobile learning labs in rural India, providing access to technology and learning to an estimated 3.5 million people in more than 1,400 villages.
- Little Makers Challenge: Tailored for parents, teachers, and 5 to 12-year-old children to teach, play and learn creatively together through printed and online material, this initiative in Malaysia received over 18,600 submissions, representing an estimated 90,000 hours of activities covering subjects such as arts, geography, biology, and astronomy.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Lab: Founded in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National Research Foundation Singapore, this Lab is driving the development of innovation, technologies and skills to democratize digital manufacturing. In January, it introduced a skills development program aimed at helping Singapore train and upskill talent in digital manufacturing.
