Grab launches social impact program to upskill Southeast Asians

Singapore-based ride-hailing giant Grab announced a social impact program aimed at upskilling Southeast Asians and giving them more opportunities in the digital economy.

From left: Grab Indonesia managing director Neneng Goenadi, Grab CEO and co-founder Anthony Tan, Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, and Grab co-founder Hooi Ling Tan / Photo credit: Grab

With the Grab for Good program, the company looks to help around 5 million micro entrepreneurs and small businesses digitize their workflows and processes. It also seeks to bring digital inclusion and digital literacy to 3 million Southeast Asians through partnerships with governments, private companies, and nonprofit organizations.

Grab also aims to train about 20,000 students through tech initiatives in collaboration with educational institutions, nonprofits, and leading tech companies.

Grab, which aims to achieve the aforementioned goals by 2025, also announced two flagship initiatives.

Through a partnership with Microsoft, Grab will conduct trainings to equip workers with the necessary tech skills to thrive in the digital economy. The two companies will also work with select universities across Southeast Asia to train students.

Grab driver-partners will also have access to Microsoft’s Digital Literacy certification program through the Grab driver app. Grab and Microsoft will hold programs aimed at helping driver-partners pursue tech-enabled careers, with support from nonprofit Generation: You Employed.

Grab said it will announce more initiatives under the program later this year.

“If the private sector actively creates programs for local communities, technology can be within reach for many, and the learning of new skills can immediately improve the livelihoods for many more people in Southeast Asia,” said Grab group CEO and co-founder Anthony Tan.

The company will also expand its Break the Silence initiative, which provides opportunities to the deaf and hearing-impaired in the digital economy, to Indonesia and Singapore. Grab said it has over 500 driver-partners under the program, which currently runs in Malaysia and Singapore, with a plan to double the number in the coming year.

In addition, Grab released its first social impact report, where it claims that it has contributed US$5.8 billion to Southeast Asia’s economy in the 12 months to March of this year based on calculations independently verified by KPMG.