USAID and Private Sector Calls for Effective HEI-Industry Collaboration for the Vis-Min Manufacturing Sector

12 August 2024 – The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development (AMDev) Alliance held its first HEI-Industry Forum at the Belmont Hotel, Mactan Cebu. The forum highlighted practical, yet effective collaboration strategies to align academe curricula with the evolving needs of the manufacturing industry. 

“We live in an age of unprecedented technological advancement with industries evolving at an exponential rate. This rapid transformation requires a workforce equipped with a dynamic skillset and our young people must possess the ability to adapt, learn, and continuously relearn to cope with these advanced technologies.” said AMDev’s Chief-of-Party, Dr. Danilo Lachica. 

A Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) study reveals a disparity between rising educational qualifications and declining job quality among college graduates. Many find employment in low-productivity sectors such as sales and services, rather than high-value industries. This underutilization of talent is compounded by a curriculum share others fail to align with the competencies needed in the modern manufacturing sector.

“The effects of emerging technologies on the [Philippine] labor force is real and we all anticipate it going to hit us in the near future.”  said Michelle Chen, Director for the Office of Education at USAID Philippines. 

“Preparing in advance for accelerated training that is targeted to help our laborforce here, in this country, transition to new opportunities, in my opinion, is a very important effort that should be a galvanizing force for those across government, industry, and academe,” Chen added.

The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development (AMDev) Program is a joint initiative by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Unilab Foundation, focused on upskilling and reskilling the Philippine manufacturing workforce. The AMDev HEI-Industry Forum is a series of industry discussions to promote collaboration on workforce development in the sector.

AMDev’s Luzon HEI-Industry Forum is poised to happen on September 25. Stay tuned for more details at http//mbc.com.ph.