• Co-developed by both companies, the programme has reached 70% of the year’s participation target in just three months.
• The programme will be part of GrabBenefits, a programme for platform workers in the gig economy. 
• The partnership extends joint commitment to accelerate digital inclusion amongst SEA communities.

Grab and Microsoft announce their partnership in Malaysia with training and development programmes designed to empower driver- and delivery-partners with digital skills.  Introduced in February 2021, the training programmes leverages the expertise of both Grab and Microsoft to deliver tailored learning experiences for driver- and delivery- partners – regardless of their digital literacy levels – with a goal of boosting partner employability beyond platform work.

The training is available through GrabBenefits, a programme for Grab partners designed to maintain and improve their wellbeing. Partners can access the training program through GrabAcademy in the Grab partner app. The initiative will benefit more than 10,000 driver- and delivery-partners in Malaysia by the end of 2021 and has already reached 70% of the year’s participation target in just three months.

Rashid Shukor, Director of Country Operations for Grab Malaysia shared, “As a proponent of the digital economy, we want to provide our driver- and delivery-partners with the tools for them to learn and help improve their digital literacy as part of our commitment to improving their livelihoods. We are excited to partner with Microsoft to bring these learning programmes to our partners and provide opportunities for them to take advantage of our nation’s growing digital economy, and we are encouraged by the promising participation rate from our community so far.”

K Raman, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia shared, “As our nation progresses towards an inclusive economic recovery as envisioned by the government’s MyDIGITAL blueprint, it is critical that we help advance digital equity and digital skills for all. We are pleased to be partnering with Grab to create a pathway for the driver- and delivery-partner community to be active participants in our nation’s digital economy. This programme is part of Microsoft’s Bersama Malaysia commitment to empowering 1 million Malaysians with digital skills, enabling every person to achieve more in Malaysia’s digital future.”

The “Introduction to Digital Literacy” course, the first training and development programme to be launched, consists of six modules covering basic computing and digital skills content such as internet usage, online productivity and communications tools, online security and others. At the end of each module, participants will be awarded a certification from Grab and Microsoft.

Siti Fatimah, a Grab driver-partner shared, “Being a person with disabilities, I am very grateful to Grab Malaysia for providing our communities with earning opportunities and the independence to support ourselves through hard work and effort without relying on charity. Our unique issues are often overlooked or ignored, so the support from Grab has been invaluable and has allowed us to take pride in what we do.  Independence is very important to me, so I look forward to upskilling myself to be more proficient with technology to keep up with the rest of the world.”

Mohd Farihan Bin Nordin, Grab delivery-partner shared, “As a 40-year-old, technology has been a relatively new field for me with my experience being basic Microsoft Office skills for work. I have been a part time delivery-partner with Grab for five years now and was interested in joining the upskilling courses offered by Microsoft and Grab. It has allowed me the opportunity to learn new skills and get more from the software, which will definitely benefit me in my primary job. I do appreciate the opportunity provided by Grab and the ease of access to the upskilling courses”

Regional Digital Upskilling Partnership with Grab and Microsoft 

Grab and Microsoft are long-time partners in helping Southeast Asia bridge the digital gap as the region accelerates its efforts to build a digital-first economy. In 2019, the companies announced a regional partnership to equip workers with necessary technology skills through training, reskilling, and career development support.

This regional partnership also contributes to Grab’s social impact goals, “GrabForGood”, which include bringing digital literacy and greater inclusion to three million Southeast Asians by 2025 through tech talent initiatives and partnerships with governments, private companies and non-profit organisations.