PLDT and Smart are focusing on guiding youth towards the future of technology and innovation through the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), the longest-running industry-academe linkage in the Philippines. Launched in 2003, the program aims to promote a culture of innovation in schools and encourage more Filipino students to pursue STEM and ICT-related courses, demonstrating their commitment to academic and professional excellence.

SWEEP has become an avenue for long-term learning and discovery about technology as a catalyst for growth and development among the youth. 

“We continue to work closely with the country’s leading colleges and universities. We have likewise succeeded in producing industry-ready graduates to meet the increasingly digital demands of our customers, our communities, and our country,” said Roderick S. Santiago, Head of Network at PLDT and Smart. 

SWEEP has become an avenue for long-term learning and discovery about technology as a catalyst for growth and development among the youth.    

“We believe that continuous learning and exposure to emerging technologies, through SWEEP, can equip the youth towards finding innovative solutions that can help create positive impact for present and future generations,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management Team at PLDT and Smart.   

To officially celebrate SWEEP’s two decades and the program’s milestones, the PLDT Group has just concluded a learning and networking summit called SWEEP@20 and beyond, for its partner schools this month.    

Providing a peek into the future, the PLDT Group has discussed more about how 5G, AI or artificial intelligence, XR or extended reality, cloud computing, and advanced networks can help create a sustainable and more inclusive world for all Filipinos and leave no one behind. 

Through the years, the PLDT Group has underscored the value of inclusive learning and industry-academe linkages like SWEEP, particularly to promote STEM education in the country. This commitment also supports UNSDG #4: Quality Education and is aligned with the vision of the Philippine Government-mandated Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC). As one of the founding members under the Digital Infrastructure pillar of PSAC, PLDT aims to help narrow the digital divide by creating more STEM experts and upskilling more Filipinos toward jobs of the future