HP looks to launch 20 tech hubs across SEA including Indonesia

Tech company HP is looking to open 20 tech hubs in under served communities across Southeast Asia by the end of 2020. According to HP, the programme will provide technology and entrepreneurship training for students aged 13 and above, and aims to upskill 10,000 youth by year-end. HP’s tech hubs initiative comes as part of the company’s broader education initiatives in Asia Pacific.

Outfitted with 15 to 20 new PCs as well as networking support from HP, the HP tech hubs aim to 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. Currently, six tech hubs have 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. Marketing has reached out to HP for additional information.

Ng Tian Chong, managing director, Greater Asia, HP said through the HP tech hubs, the company aims to equip youths in underserved communities with technical and practical knowledge and inspire these individuals to “widen their horizons, be creative, and take the bold step towards new possibilities”.

“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,” he added.

According to HP, about 1.3 million students and adult learners have benefited from its education programs in 2019. Since HP’s launch of the HP LIFE initiative in 2016, it has enrolled over 214,000 users globally, and in Asia Pacific, over 20,600 learners accessed HP LIFE curriculum in 28 countries.

In addition, HP has also unveiled a “Little Makers Challenge” last year tailored for parents, teachers, and 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.

Meanwhile in Singapore,  HP, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National Research Foundation Singapore, drove the development of innovation, technologies and skills to democratise digital manufacturing. In January this year, it introduced a skills development program aimed at helping Singapore train and upskill talent in digital manufacturing.