MANILA, Philippines – May 26, 2021 — Grab Philippines announced the launch of the GrabAcademy online platform to provide driver- and delivery-partners across the country free and equitable access to new learning and development opportunities to help them become more competitive in the digital-first economy.

The GrabAcademy is introducing new learning and development courses for driver- and delivery-partners across three (3) pillars- Safety across the platform, Growing within the platform, and Thriving beyond the platform – in addition to courses on topics such as taxation and vehicle sanitation which have also now migrated online.

• Safety across the platform. With many Filipinos relying on food delivery services for their everyday meals, GrabAcademy – in partnership with the Food Safety and Hygiene Academy of the Philippines (FoodSHAP), will offer specialized learning modules on proper food handling and delivery, as well as proper sanitation of vehicles and gears.

  With leading experts on road safety, such as Alt Mobility PH, Grab Philippines will introduce new road safety courses.

  GrabAcademy will also offer learning courses on Data Protection, Crime Prevention and Detection, as well as Anti-Harassment to ensure that all driver- and delivery-partners become stewards of safety on the platform and to their communities.

• Growing within the platform. To support the success of driver- and delivery-partners, GrabAcademy will provide performance and service quality courses that will enhance the proficiency of its partners on the platform, and enable them to better serve their consumers. This learning pillar includes refresher courses on the general code of conduct, driver-cancellation policy, and service quality standards, as well as an extensive coaching program to help driver- and delivery-partners learn from best practices, and acquire key insights to help improve their productivity.

• Thriving beyond the platform. Grab Philippines is committed to the longer-term wellbeing of its partners, and GrabAcademy will offer courses on entrepreneurship, baking, farming, and milk tea-making. With knowledge of these additional skills, they can make the most out of their earnings and training from the Grab platform, and create external opportunities for others.

  Under this pillar, Grab Philippines is also working with local government units and agencies to further expand GrabAcademy and offer a range of vocational courses on the platform.In one of the latest collaborations, Grab has partnered with Microsoft to provide Grab driver-partners access to Microsoft’s Digital Literacy certification program via the Grab driver app. They can complete six (6) basic courses, covering topics such as computer basics, online communication, and creating and managing digital content. Upon completion of the course, driver-partners will be awarded a Microsoft certification for free. The courses will be available in both English and Filipino.

  This program is also part of the broader regional GrabForGood collaboration between Grab and Microsoft, which aims to bridge the digital skills gap by committing their combined resources, expertise, and capabilities, to fulfill a shared vision of making the economic opportunities in technology and the digital economy accessible to everyone across Southeast Asia.

“Building digital skills and literacy is critical for us at Microsoft, especially today. COVID-19 has made digital transformation critical, and accelerated a global wave of technology adoption. But embracing digital opportunities requires having the necessary digital skills. This means empowering learning, supporting public policies for reskilling and encouraging continuous improvements. Alongside the adoption of technology, we have to empower the individuals within our workforces and communities with the skills and knowledge they need today, and tomorrow. We’re excited to join hands with Grab Philippines in this effort, which will be the first of many more programs to drive positive outcomes and economic recovery for the Philippines,” shared Microsoft Philippines Country Manager Andres Ortola.

“Our driver- and delivery-partners have spent many years providing essential services to all our kababayans, and as a community partner to our Ka-Grab, we are committed to supporting their everyday needs and their long-term success. Our GrabAcademy is a clear expression of our long-term commitment to the development and wellbeing of our partners – both within and beyond our platform, and we are blessed and excited to be with Microsoft on this journey. Through this partnership, we hope to deliver these programs that will provide more holistic training support for our partners to help them become more competitive in a digital-first Philippines,” says Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz.

Grab driver- and delivery-partners will receive a Certificate of Completion upon accomplishing the GrabAcademy courses, which they can easily register for within their Grab Driver app.