The NEXT School: Upskill For What’s Next

The NEXT School is iACADEMY’s short courses program, offering a diverse range of courses designed to help individuals enhance their skills and advance their professional goals. 

We sat down with Shan Sebastian and Christian Dorado, alumni of The NEXT School, about their current industries and the upskilling journey they both took to stay relevant and competitive in their respective fields. Both Shan and Christian are immersed in the technology industry, with Shan specializing in AI and Christian in IT. Part of this technological landscape is the realm of social media, a matter both Shan and Christian are also interested in. Committed to their passions and professional work, the two took up two short courses in The NEXT School: one for social media and content creation, and another for AI prompting. 

When asked about their current sectors, both observed a rapidly evolving technological landscape that therefore insists on the need to adapt and keep up with the changes. AI, for instance, will continue innovating to make lives more convenient. This continuous innovation, then, demands that we ensure that the technology we use is secure and reliable. For Christian, the fast-paced industry calls for professionals like him to keep learning because, as he underscored, “In technology, what we know today might not be enough tomorrow.”

Interestingly, what the two equally emphasized is the need for and value of formal training. While it may be simple nowadays to upskill through the various resources and platforms that could be found online, both Shan and Christian shared that learning at an institutional level is an entirely different experience. They looked for a more structured way of learning that allowed them to not only earn certifications, but to really apply what they learned to their current work. 

What The NEXT School provided them with was the valuable knowledge and skills needed to keep up with the emerging trends and advancements in the field of social media and technology. For Shan, understanding “the science” behind social media and content creation is essential, inspiring him to further build his career in the field and offer effective social media services to his clients. Christian, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of applying these learnings to actual projects. He shared how his learning ultimately culminated in a final video project, of which was recognized as one of the top outputs in their batch. The course they took on AI prompting was just as insightful as it helped Shan enhance his ability to communicate effectively with AI, while Christian noted that it broadened his understanding of the various aspects of technology and helped him develop the skills essential for his career in the IT industry. 

Amid rapid societal and technological advancements, upskilling becomes imperative to adapt to evolving demands. Investing in upskilling becomes necessary to prepare oneself for new opportunities. To Shan, “Upskilling is one of the best things that you have to do right now. And that’s the beauty right now of our generation because all resources right now are so much out there, and there’s a lot of institutions that are offering these kinds of resources. [...] Especially here in iACADEMY, The NEXT School, you can learn all the skills, you can learn all the stuff in [a] short period of time, without you know, investing so much time [on] it. But the impact, and the learnings […] that you can get is, you know, is world-class, basically.”

iACADEMY, and The NEXT School by extension, remains committed to providing high quality training and education to individuals seeking professional growth. It continues to be dedicated to equipping working professionals, like Shan and Christian, with the relevant knowledge and skills to match the dynamic nature of industries.

Enrollment is currently ongoing for the Fundamentals of Graphic Design short course. Classes will be held every Saturday, 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM, from November 14 to December 5, 2026. Visit: https://thenextschool.ph/.