Developing Young Tech Talents is Crucial to Support the Growth of E-Commerce

MANILA, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 - E-commerce continues to play a significantly important role in the Philippine market and is estimated to be worth US$12 billion by 2025. As more consumers turn to e-commerce, and as more businesses capitalize on the potential of the emerging digital economy,  there is also a rising demand for qualified tech talents. According to Linkedin, tech roles make up the majority of “emerging jobs” in the region, with robotics engineer, cyber security specialist, and javascript developer roles making the job trend list. 

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, prepares and nurtures students and professionals for the digital landscape through its various talent development initiatives. One of these is the Shopee Apprentice Program which is an internship program designed to develop young tech talents into leaders through high-impact projects, specialized learning and development training, and mentorships led by Shopee leaders. 

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “As the demand for tech roles rises, Shopee will continue to train and equip the next generation of leaders through initiatives like the Shopee Apprentice Program. We will ramp up our efforts to provide proper mentorship and a well-rounded work experience for individuals joining our internship program.”

These Participants of the Shopee Apprentice Program highlight how they gained significant professional and personal growth to jumpstart their careers in e-commerce. 

For Kyla, the Shopee Apprentice Program was an enriching experience. With a specialization in data science and analytics and equipped with advanced coding skills, she created end-to-end training portals during her stint with the Shopee Business Intelligence Team. “Even though the entire program was held virtually, Shopee translated their work culture online which is a great factor in my whole experience as an apprentice. I learned a lot from my mentors and also improved my skills in terms of presentation, time management, and communication. The program encouraged me to step up and be more confident to drive better results with what I do. I am glad a lot of people supported me throughout my whole Shopee journey,” Kyla shared.

Lance, another Shopee Apprentice Program participant, said that his experience was eye-opening, improved his problem-solving skills, and helped him understand the industry better. He worked with the People Team and displayed exemplary standing not only when it comes to his studies but also with his work at Shopee. “With Shopee, I learned how to look at a multifaceted problem, break it down into its constituent parts, and build it back together to form a comprehensive, results-driven strategy. With this mindset, I was able to drive concrete impact by implementing workable solutions that will help drive the business forward.”

After finishing the program, Kyla highly recommends other individuals check out the program for growth and new learnings. “For those who want a career in e-commerce and tech, the Shopee Apprentice Program can definitely equip you with the necessary skills through their mentorships, training, and projects. You can definitely drive your own growth as well as bring value and positive impact to Shopee through this internship. If you are up for a challenge to do meaningful work, the Shopee Apprentice Program might just be for you,” Kyla shared.

For more information about the Shopee Apprentice Program, visit https://careers.shopee.ph/apprenticeprogram/.  To check out other career opportunities at Shopee, check out https://careers.shopee.ph/. 

Buy Load, Pay Bills, and Scan to Pay with ShopeePay. Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

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About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia & Taiwan. Shopee connects shoppers, brands, and sellers across Asia and other fast-growing markets, empowering anyone to buy and sell anywhere and at any time. 

 

Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. It offers a wide product assortment, supported by integrated payments and logistics, as well as popular entertainment features tailored for each market. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region’s digital economy with a firm commitment to helping brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

 

Shopee is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Shopee, Sea’s other core businesses include its digital entertainment arm, Garena, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.

Get Your Hands on the New, Limited-Edition Jollibee Funko Soda!

Since the Jollibee Funko Pop debuted in 2018 as the first-ever local brand with its own Funko vinyl figure, the partnership between the two global brands have created widespread excitement and buzz from toy collectors and Jollibee fans alike. And this year, Jollibee and Funko continue to bring the fun and joy with another first – the limited-edition Jollibee Funko Soda!

With this newest release, Jollibee joins the ranks of iconic global properties and brands such as Batman, Disney’s Steamboat Mickey, The Matrix, and Energizer Bunny with its own Funko Soda. It features a cute 4.25” Jollibee vinyl figure in a unique soda can packaging. It also comes with a collectible disc, and lucky customers even have the chance to get the Chase glow in the dark version.

“We are very happy to launch the Jollibee Funko Soda and give our customers another premium novelty item to add to their growing collection. This is another first for the Philippines’ favorite bee and we are proud to share this milestone with our fun partners from Funko,” says Francis Flores, JFC Philippines Country/Regional Marketing Head and Jollibee Philippines Marketing Head.

The new Jollibee Funko Soda is available via the Jollibee Delivery App from September 24 to 26 in select Jollibee delivery stores. Customers can get it for only P790 with a minimum P200 food purchase. So, make sure to mark your calendar and order via the Jollibee App to get your hands on this limited-edition collectible!

For more information on the Jollibee Funko Soda, watch this video and visit Jollibee’s Official Facebook Page.

GCash Advances Cashless Ecosystem and Financial Literacy in the BPO Sector

GCash, the country's leading mobile wallet app, is working toward building a cashless ecosystem for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, considered the biggest private employer in the country, by introducing a suite of products and services to fit the needs of BPO companies and employees. The company has partnered with several top BPO companies which are now using GCash’s digital finance solutions, while promoting financial literacy among thousands of BPO employees.

In a webinar organized by GCash called, "GShift: Advancing Digital Financial Solutions for BPOs,” Martha Sazon, GCash president and chief executive officer, said, “Our purpose is to 'Make Filipinos' Everyday Lives Better.' To accomplish this, we provide safe and seamless solutions to various companies like BPOs, while striving to help even more BPOs through a cashless ecosystem and financial literacy.”

BPO companies, like Ibex Philippines Global, are reaping the benefits of their partnership with GCash. According to Potski Alvarez, Ibex Global Philippines' country manager, "One of the things that I was very happy with was how we were able to pay incentives, spiffs, and rewards to our employees in real time. Instead of having to go through payroll and wait 15 days, you get your money within the day, and that has been one of the more practical digital solutions of our partnership with GCash."

During the webinar, Kim Pineda, GCash assistant vice president and head of BPO enterprise, presented the suite of digital financial solutions and programs to support the BPOs' drive for digital innovation and achieve GCash's vision for financial inclusion for all Filipinos.

For disbursements, the GCash PowerPay+ allows the company to disburse incentives, allowances, reimbursements, cash advances, and salaries in real time, and with easy access through the app, anytime, anywhere. To further encourage a cashless ecosystem in the office, merchants within the BPO company can accept payments from employees using the app's QR code through GCash's Cashless Cafeteria Program for BPOs.

GCash also continues to champion financial literacy as it empowers BPO employees to take control of their money through the app's other services. Aside from the everyday transactions and payments such as buying load, paying bills, and sending money, BPO employees and other consumers can shop on GLife or grow their money through the app's financial services such as GSave, GInvest, GInsure, and GCredit.

During the virtual roundtable discussion, Rowena Belmonte, Teleperformance's administrative services manager, noted that partnering with GCash has not only kept her and her colleagues safe, but it has also allowed her to take advantage of the app's many useful features. "For me, personally, I don't have to go to the bank or payment centers and line up to pay for my utilities and other bills. I have also recently enjoyed GInvest and GSave, and of course, GCash's online shopping features!"

Likewise, for Dan Lester Guevarra, Concentrix Philippines' senior project manager, aside from using GCash for online shopping, he has also started investing through the app: "I've also recently discovered GInvest, which I really enjoy. I've invested some money there and I've gotten some profit out of it -- definitely better than just putting it in the bank and incur interests."

Joining GCash during the webinar were partners from the BPO industry including Ibex Global Philippines' country manager Potski Alvarez, Ibex Global Philippines' senior vice president for Business Development Eric Kaufman, and Concentrix Philippines' vice president for People Solutions, Hazel Bañas. GCash VP and Enterprise Head Luigi Reyes also graced the event.

For more information on how to turn your BPO into a safe and efficient workplace with GCash, visit https://www.gcash.com/business.

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About GCash

GCash is the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines. Through the GCash app, customers can easily buy load; pay bills at over 600 partner billers in the app; pay at more than 7,000 online partners; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines; pay using QR codes at over 130,000 partner merchants nationwide; save money while earning interest; and invest money at local and global funds -- all through the convenience of their smartphones.

GCash is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom, Inc. GCash was recognized by The Asian Banker (TAB) in 2021 for its outstanding digital financial inclusion programs impacting more than 40 million Filipinos in the country today.