Philippine startup Kalibrr wants to enhance the lives of Filipinos by offering free online training in business process outsourcing skills, such as English and Math.
The Philippines is known as a hub for business process outsourcing (BPO) worldwide, competing heavily against the likes of India in the areas of human resources, customer service, data entry, telemarketing, web development, and just about any outsourced activity. In fact, the Philippines has just overtaken India in call centers, according to a recent report by the Economist on business process outsourcing.
638,000 Filipinos are currently employed in BPO companies, including 400,000 in voice-related jobs. The industry is currently at an output of US$ 11 billion in 2012, or 5 percent of the country?s GDP. The industry is projected to employ 1.3 million Filipinos by 2016, generating revenues of US$ 25 billion annually by that time, Tech in Asia reports.
But even as the Philippines has an advantage in its citizenry?s knowledge and use of the English language, there is still a low hiring rate among BPO applicants. ?While many Filipinos apply for work in IT-BPO companies, at present,?the hiring rate is just five to 10 percent.? says Benedict Hernandez, president and CEO of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP).
Hernandez cites the lack of a solid education among the primary reasons otherwise enthusiastic candidates fail to make the grade when they apply for BPO jobs. A local startup called Kalibrr aims to solve this deficiency by providing an online learning platform for aspiring BPO employees, which helps develop and hone skills that will be essential for a BPO professional to thrive in the industry.
Kalibrr is founded in late 2011 by Paul Rivera, who used to work for Google at the search giant?s Mountain View, CA headquarters, and then founded a local BPO firm catering to Silicon Valley companies. ?The saddest thing for me was to reject someone who had a college degree, who had all the right attitudes but just didn?t have the right skills,? Rivera says to Tech in Asia?s writer,?Peanut Dela Cruz. He further expounds on the education gap that the startup wants to address on the Kalibrr blog?post on behind the scenes at Kalibrr.
Kalibrr CEO Paul Rivera with graduates from Dasmarinas Cavite (Photo credit: Kalibrr/Facebook)
?Granted, Filipinos are fairly well-versed in English given that we hear and speak it every day. And who isn?t on Facebook these days, right? But these BPO companies are looking for candidates with higher English and technology skill levels.?
Kalibrr teaches valuable lessons particularly in the English language. These include grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and idioms. Other essentials include mathematical skills and even basic web-based tricks that can help prospective and current BPO employees get a headstart in this lucrative field.?Aside from the usual courseware, Kalibrr also offers learning through games through Grammar Koala, which can help break the lull by offering a more fun way to learn language skills.
The online service is free, and students can expect to finish the course in 15 to 30 hours, with most students taking about four weeks to finish the entire program. Kalibrr has actually partnered with Internet cafes in Cavite City, south of Metro Manila, offering subsidized access to the service through the cafes? facilities.
Run by a Filipino team, Kalibrr received its first round of financing this May 2012, and expects to use the seed fund to continue ?creating economic opportunities through education and employment.?
Kalibrr is basically a ?BPO bootcamp? that will ?give you a re-education and prepare you for the beginning of your career.? The company aims to become an enabler, offering skills upgrade to prospective BPO workers, even those that do not have prior formal training.
Interested in jumpstarting your career in BPO? Head on to the Kalibrr signup page.
Featured Image Credits: Philippine Call Center
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