DTA Competition

Turn your AI idea into a real project.

Get the chance to be shortlisted, receive mentorship, and pitch your project to IBM and industry representatives at the TVET Digital Talent Accelerator (DTA) Symposium.

Apply now

Applications close 12 October 2026, 11:59 PM MYT.

What is the DTA Competition?

The DTA (Digital Talent Accelerator) Competition is your chance to put what you’ve learned into practice. Using the AI skills covered in your training, you’ll identify a real problem in education and propose a solution for it. Shortlisted teams will be mentored, pitch their ideas, and the 5 strongest projects will be showcased live at the TVET Digital Talent Accelerator (DTA) Symposium in collaboration with Mereka and IBM.

What are we asking you to submit?

A short proposal covering two things:

1. A problem statement - a real, specific problem within your track, explained using the 5W + 1H format (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How).
2. A solution idea - how you’d solve it using AI, built on the skills from your training.

Example scope. Problem: students in rural secondary schools struggle to get personalised revision support, especially during exam periods, because there aren’t enough teachers to give 1-on-1 attention. Solution: a WhatsApp-based chatbot that answers subject-specific questions by topic, using past-year exam papers as its knowledge base, with escalation to a human tutor for unresolved questions.

Competition tracks

AI-Driven Innovation

• AI Agent as Tutor & Student Assistant
• Technical Project & Special Innovation

Judging criteria

• Impactful - 40% - does it solve a real problem? Is it realistic to build, and does it serve the right users?
• Sustainable / ESG - 20% - does the solution reduce resource use, waste, or environmental impact in its implementation or in what it addresses?
• Execution & Product Quality - 25% - is the solution’s flow clear, and does it actually do what it’s designed to do?
• Presentation - 15% - how clearly can you explain your idea?

How to apply

1. Review the training deck to refresh what you’ve learned.
2. Fill in the application form.
3. Submit before the deadline: 12 October 2026, 11:59 PM MYT.

IBM SkillsBuild registration is required to participate. If you’re not yet registered, submitting this application serves as your consent for the DTA team to invite you to the course.